An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
