An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
