A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
