An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested 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
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
