A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security 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 account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
