A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
