A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
