A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if 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 discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
