An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
