A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
