A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
