An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
