Minister States MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
