A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When 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’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
