A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
