An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions 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 secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
