An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
