A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
