An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
