Defence Intelligence and Security Centre The Defence Intelligence and Security Centre ( DISC ) is the location of the headquarters of both the Defence College of Intelligence and the British Army Intelligence Corps . It is located at Chicksands , Bedfordshire , approximately north of London . Site History . Chicksands was the site of RAF Chicksands , an RAF signals collection station during and after the Second World War ; during the war , it was one of the " Y - Stations " which sent intercepted signals to the Government Code and Cypher School ( GC & CS ) at Bletchley Park , where ciphers and codes of several Axis countries were decrypted , most importantly the ciphers generated by the German Enigma and Lorenz machines . The station was used by the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1995 , also for signals collection , being the location for its first diameter FLR - 9 direction finding antenna , commonly known as the Elephant Cage , from 1963 to 1995 . The site was closed as an RAF station in 1997 , then handed over to the Intelligence Corps allowing the Corps Headquarters and training delivery to re - locate from Templer Barracks in Ashford , Kent . Defence College of Intelligence . The Defence College of Intelligence ( DCI ) is responsible for delivering training in intelligence and security to members of the British Armed Forces , police and other public sector staff as well as international partners . Training is delivered over three sites , Chicksands , Defence School of Language Beaconsfield and the School of Photography at the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering , Cosford . HQ Intelligence Corps . The Headquarters of the Intelligence Corps is located on site , with all core training for Intelligence Corps soldiers and officers being delivered through the DCI . HMS Ferret . is a training unit of the Royal Naval Reserve which delivers intelligence - related operational capability . 15 ( United Kingdom ) Psychological Operations Group . 15 ( United Kingdom ) Psychological Operations Group is a tri - service , or " purple " , military unit parented by 1 Military Intelligence Brigade comprising over 150 personnel , approximately 75 from the regular Armed Services and 75 from the Reserves . The Group supports deployed commanders in the provision of psychological operations in operational and tactical environments . 15 ( UK ) PSYOPS Group was established immediately after the 1991 Gulf War when the success of US military psychological operations convinced the Ministry of Defence that the UK required a similar capability . Initially it was composed of just a single desk officer with the intention that it would be augmented by additional personnel when required . As such the Group was referred to in military terminology as a ' shadow ' unit . Subsequently conspiracy theorists have suggested incorrectly that ' Shadow ' was a covert code name for the Group and members of the Group have been targeted in the press . Since 1991 the Group has grown significantly in size to meet operational requirements and has participated in every major UK military operation since that period . The Group ' s Honorary Colonel is Lieutenant General Sir Paul Newton , formally Commander of Force Development and Training for the British Army . In October 2012 , the Group was awarded the Firmin Sword of Peace for its " valuable contribution to humanitarian activities by establishing good and friendly relations with the inhabitants of any community at home or overseas " . The citation noted that : " A small team from 15 POG has been continuously deployed to Helmand for six years . Working predominantly with the Afghan civilian population , it has sought to inform , reassure , educate and through the promotion of free and unbiased discussion persuade Afghans that their futures are best served not with the Taliban , nor with ISAF , but with themselves and their elected government . The unit runs a network of radio stations employing local Afghans as DJs , broadcasting music , poetry , debate programmes and even a Helmandi soap opera , as well as producing graphical posters and leaflets to communicate in an area where literacy rates are only around 20 % . Recent projects include information campaigns to prevent children picking up spent ordnance they find , disseminating information from farming and veterinary workshops using their radio stations , and promoting debate on political issues of the day " . The Sword was presented to the Group ' s then Commanding Officer Commander Steve Tatham RN at a ceremony in London by the Chief of Defence Staff General Sir David Richards . The award was covered by the BBC which was granted exclusive access to the Group .