A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
