An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
