An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
