An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
