An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
