A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
