An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
