Defence Intelligence Defence Intelligence is a member of the United Kingdom Intelligence Community , but differs from the agencies ( SIS , GCHQ , and the Security Service ) in that it is not a stand - alone organisation , but is an integral part of the Ministry of Defence ( MOD ) . The organisation employs a mixture of civilian and military staff and is funded within the Defence budget . Like the rest of the MOD Defence Intelligence was subject to the 2008 ' Streamlining ' initiative in which 20 - 25 percent of Central London staff were cut and it has had to continue to find additional savings since . The organisation was formerly known as the Defence Intelligence Staff or DIS , but changed its name in early 2010 . The primary role of Defence Intelligence is that of ' all - source ' intelligence analysis . This discipline draws information from a variety of overt and covert sources to provide the intelligence needed to support military operations , contingency planning , and to inform defence policy and procurement decisions . The maintenance of the ability to give timely strategic warning of politico - military and scientific and technical developments with the potential to affect UK interests is a vital part of the process . DI ' s assessments are used outside the MOD to support the work of the Joint Intelligence Committee ( JIC ) and to assist the work of other Government Departments ( OGDs ) and International partners ( such as NATO and the European Union ) . It is this ' all - source ' function which distinguishes Defence Intelligence from other organisations such as SIS and GCHQ which focus on the collection of ' single - source ' Human Intelligence ( HUMINT ) and Signals Intelligence ( SIGINT ) respectively . As such Defence Intelligence occupies a unique position within the UK Intelligence Community . Defence Intelligence also performs an intelligence collection function - primarily through the military capabilities lodged within the Joint Forces Intelligence Group ( created in 2012 from what was formerly known as the Intelligence Collection Group or ICG ) . Organisation . Defence Intelligence is headed by the Chief of Defence Intelligence ( CDI ) who is a serving three - star military officer and who , as the MOD ' s ' intelligence process owner ' , is also responsible for the overall co - ordination of intelligence activities throughout the Armed Forces and single Service Commands . He is supported by two deputies - one civilian and one military . The civilian Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence ( DCDI ) is responsible for Defence Intelligence analysis and production , the military Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff - Intelligence Capabilities ( ACDS ( IC ) ) is responsible for intelligence collection , mapping and training . Vice Admiral Alan Richards is the current CDI . Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence ( DCDI ) . DCDI ( currently Mr Nick Gurr ) manages the analysis and production directorates of Defence Intelligence ( known as the Defence Intelligence Assessments Staff or DIAS ) . These include directorates for : DCDI is responsible for intelligence analysis and production , providing global defence intelligence assessments and strategic warning on a wide range of issues including , intelligence support for operations ; proliferation and arms control ; conventional military capabilities ; strategic warning and technical evaluations of weapons systems . These intelligence assessments draw upon classified information provided by GCHQ , SIS , the Security Service , Allied intelligence services and military collection assets , in addition to diplomatic reporting and a wide range of publicly available or ‘ open source ’ information such as media reporting and the internet . Director of Cyber Intelligence and Information Integration ( DCI3 ) . DCI3 is responsible for the provision of specialised intelligence , imagery and geographic support services , and for the intelligence and security training of the Armed Forces . DCI3 is currently Air Vice Marshal John Rigby . In addition to a Head Office policy staff he is responsible for two major groupings within Defence Intelligence : The Joint Forces Intelligence Group ( JFIG ) . The JFIG was established in 2012 under the new Joint Forces Command and superseded the Intelligence Collection Group ( ICG ) . JFIG makes up the largest sub - element of Defence Intelligence . It is responsible for the collection of Signals , Geospatial , Imagery and Measurement and Signature Intelligence and comprises : The Defence Geospatial Intelligence Fusion Centre ( DGIFC ) , formally known as JARIC , is based at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire ( since moving from RAF Brampton in 2013 ) and provides specialist imagery intelligence to the armed forces and other UK government customers . They deliver this through the exploitation of satellite imaging systems , as well as airborne and ground - based collection systems . DGIFC uses these sources , together with advanced technologies , to provide regional intelligence assessments and support to strategic intelligence projections . The Defence HUMINT Organisation ( DHO ) is a Tri - Service organisation that provides specialist support to military operations . The DHO manages strategic aspects of defence human intelligence and is under the command of a Colonel . It draws staff from across the three services . The Joint Services Signals Organisation ( JSSO ) conducts research into new communications systems and techniques in order to provide operational support to static and deployed units . The JSSO is located at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire under the command of a Group Captain with some 1 , 600 staff drawn from all three services . Although due to relocate to RAF Wyton , the tri - service HQ JAGO is currently located at Hermitage , near Newbury in Berkshire and is commanded by an Army Colonel . It is composed of three elements : HQ JAGO commands and controls the organisation ' s current and future activities . It focuses on the development of GEOINT , geospatial and aeronautical in - service capabilities , exploiting synergies wherever possible . It provides career and technical management support to relevant service staffs across Defence . The HQ comprises 12 military and 12 civilian staff . 42 Engineer Regiment ( Geographic ) maintains sub - units and individuals at readiness for deployment and to support exercises . All support is provided by 3 regular Royal Engineer Geographic Squadrons and a Territorial Army Geographic Squadron . It further provides routine Station support functions to HQ JAGO and the Defence College of Intelligence Royal School of Military Survey ( DCI RSMS ) . The Regiment comprises 390 military personnel and soldiers and 75 civilian staff . No . 1 Aeronautical Information and Documentation Unit ( No1 AIDU ) produces standard and non - standard products and services from 4 Flights ; 2 Editorial Flights , a Production and Finishing Flight and a Support Flight . No1 AIDU comprises 108 RAF Officers and Air Cartographer and 35 civilians . In 2013 JFIG HQ moved from Feltham in Middlesex to RAF Wyton near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire . This will brought together for the first time under a new multi - disciplinary construct , a number of key collection and analysis components of the United Kingdom ’ s Defence Intelligence community . Defence Intelligence and Security Centre ( DISC ) . The DISC , at Chicksands , Bedfordshire , was created 1 October 1996 and provides a single defence focal point for intelligence , security , languages and photography training in the UK . The organisation consists of a headquarters , the Defence College of Intelligence and a specialist operational intelligence capability . DISC is co - located with the headquarters of the British Army ' s Intelligence Corps . In 1998 / 99 , it employed 484 staff and its net operating cost was £27 million . Defence intelligence roles . To support its mission , Defence Intelligence has 4 essential roles : Support to operations . DI plays an integral part in the planning process throughout all stages of military operations , by providing intelligence collection and analysis at the tactical , operational and strategic levels . Examples of the support DI has provided to operations are : DI has deployed intelligence analysts , linguists and reservists overseas , and provide geographic support by supplying both standard and specialised mapping to overseas theatres . Support to contingency planning for operations . DI provides intelligence data and all source assessments that assist in preparations for future situations with the potential to require the commitment of UK Armed Forces . These products , which cover political and military developments , country and cultural information , critical infrastructure and internal security , all aid contingency planning . Provision of early warning . A fundamental responsibility of Defence Intelligence is to alert ministers , chiefs of staff , senior officials and defence planners to impending crises around the world . Such warning is vital for short and medium term planning . DI meets this responsibility by focusing on current areas and topics of concern , highlighting the effects of changing circumstances , predicting security and stability trends , and assessing how these trends may develop . The assessments are distributed to decision - makers throughout the MOD , the Armed Forces , other government departments , allies , and UK Embassies and High Commissions . Provision of longer - term analysis of emerging threats . Defence Intelligence provides longer - term assessments of likely scenarios around the world where UK Armed Forces might need to operate and of the equipment that they might face . It also provides technical support to the development of future military equipment and to the development of countermeasures against potentially hostile systems . How Defence Intelligence does its work . Direction . The Chief of Defence Intelligence ( CDI ) receives direction from the Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS ) and Permanent Under Secretary ( PUS ) on MOD ’ s Intelligence needs and draws national guidance from the Cabinet Office Joint Intelligence Committee ( JIC ) . Analysis and production . Intelligence assessments are written to meet the needs of customers and must be timely and relevant . The assessment process involves judging the authenticity and reliability of new information and its relevance to existing intelligence . Assessments focus on probable and possible outcomes , to provide the best available advice for developing a response or resolution . They are continually adjusted in light of new intelligence or events . The history of DI . Defence Intelligence can trace its ancestry back to 1946 , when the Joint Intelligence Bureau ( JIB ) was established under the direction of General Kenneth Strong , General Eisenhower ’ s wartime Chief of Intelligence . The JIB ’ s main areas of interest were economic , logistic , scientific and technical intelligence - subjects of interest to all 3 services ( which retained their separate intelligence organisations ) , as well as to the War Office and other government departments . Following the creation of a unified Ministry of Defence in 1964 under the Mountbatten reforms , the JIB and the 3 single - Service intelligence organisations were amalgamated to form the Defence Intelligence Staff ( DIS ) . In 2009 the DIS was renamed Defence Intelligence ( DI ) . For most of its early history the DIS was preoccupied with Cold War topics . However , the focus of Defence Intelligence has now shifted towards providing intelligence support to operations overseas , countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction , and supporting non - domestic counter terrorism activities . At the same time the responsibilities of the Chief of Defence Intelligence have expanded to include not only intelligence analysis and collection , but also a range of other activities , including environmental and geographic information and intelligence training . Director - General Intelligence ( 1964 - 1984 ) . In 1964 with the consolidation of the Ministry of Defence a centralised defence intelligence organisation was formed , incorporating the former Naval Intelligence Division and the other services ' pre - existing intelligence staffs .