An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
