A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
