An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
