A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
