A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
