A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
