A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
