A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
