An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
