A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. 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 cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to communication practices.
