Defence Intelligence Staff
From SR
Contents |
Roles
The Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS), aims to provide timely intelligence products, assessments and advice to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to guide decisions on policy and the commitment and employment of UK's armed forces; to inform defence procurement decisions; and to support military operations.
Its roles range from intelligence collection and analysis through to less obvious functions such as military map production and the training of military linguists and photographers.
They work closely with other intelligence staff in intelligence organisations such as the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
The DIS also provide advice to other Government Departments such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, and the Department Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
They provide intelligence assessments on a regular basis to NATO and the European Union. In addition, working closely with overseas allies and assist other international organisations and agencies.
Key Roles:
- Support to Operations
- Support to contingency planning for operations
- Provision of early warning
- Provision of longer-term analysis of emerging threats
Key Capabilities:
- Intelligence Collection
- Environmental Support
- Intelligence Training
- Intelligence Analysis and Production
Outputs
Defence Intelligence product is widely used to support MOD and Government policy-making, military operations, crisis management and the generation of military capability, and contributes to the work of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) - the UK's national intelligence committee.
DIS work informs decisions on the generation and maintenance of operational military capability, including through the Equipment Programme, and it contributes to wider national intelligence collection and assessment efforts.
Structure
The range and complexity of these tasks require the DIS to have their own professional intelligence staff, including specialised scientists and Service personnel.
Reporting Hierarchy
The DIS, an integral part of the Ministry of Defence, comprises around 4500 personnel under the command of the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), who is personally responsible to the Secretary of State for Defence, through the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and the Permanent Secretary of the MOD.
