A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD 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, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
