A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
