A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
