An defence official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
