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Defence Intelligence Staff

The Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) is an element of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, responsible for collection and assessment of all-source intelligence. The DIS provides advice to the MOD, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, other government departments, NATO and the European Union related to the commitment and employment of UK's armed forces, to inform procurement decisions; and to support military operations. It was created in 1964 through a merger of the three single service intelligence organisations and the Directorate of Military Intelligence.

Organisation

Defence Intelligence is one of the four principal Intelligence organisations within the UK Government intelligence machinery , together with the Secret Intelligence Service (popularly known as MI6), Security Service (popularly known as MI5) and Government Communications Headquarters under the direction of the Joint Intelligence Committee.

Defence Intelligence is responsible for both collection of intelligence material and for the preparation of intelligence product, analysis of all source material to advise policy creation throughout government. Areas of interest include military capabilities and threats, counter terrorism, counter-proliferation and geo-political stability.

Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) is a serving three star officer in one of the armed forces, normally the post is rotational however the current incumbent, Air Marshal Stuart Peach, is apparently out of sequence. CDIs post was created in 1984 from the merger of the posts of Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) (DCDS(I) and Director-General Intelligence (DGI), both three star officers.

CDI is responsible for the DI Intelligence Collection Group, headed by Director General Intelligence Collection, the DI Assessment Staff, headed by Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence and a number of corporate directorates which provide resourcing, a customer interface and an Operations capability.

DI ICG

The DI ICG (Intelligence Collection Group) is the largest element of DI and is responsible for the collection of Signals, Geo-spatial, Imagery and Measurement and Signature Intelligence. Headed by Director General Intelligence Collection (DGIC) the ICG Headquarters is at Feltham, Middlesex. ICG comprises; Defence Geographic Centre, JARIC, The National Imagery Exploitation Centre, Joint Service Signals Organisation and Joint Aeronautical and Geospatial Organisation.

DIAS

The DI Assessment Staff compiles intelligence product from all sources; classified intelligence material from DI ICG and other government organisations such as SIS, Security Service, and GCHQ as well as open source intelligence from other sources.

Headed by the Deputy CDI, currently Mr Tony Pawson, the DIAS is made up of a mix of military and civilian personnel drawing on research, scientific, technical and linguistic skillsets. DIAS includes three main business units; DI Strategic Assessment, DI Scientific and Technical, and the Directorate of Targeting and Information Operations.

DISC

The Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, at Chicksands, Bedfordshire, provides training in intelligence collection and assessment skills including; research and analysis, linguistics, imagery analysis, photography and security. DISC is co-located with the headquarters of the British Army's Intelligence Corps.