An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
