An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
