An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all 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 whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
