An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
