An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having 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 restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
