A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
