An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential 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 ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
