An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet 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 car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
