An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
