A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
