Minister States MoD Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
