An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
