A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
