Chief of Defence Intelligence
Senior UK defence intelligence officer
| Chief of Defence Intelligence | |
|---|---|
| Type | Ministry of Defence post |
| Formation | 1964 (as Defence Intelligence Staff) |
| Department | Ministry of Defence (Defence Intelligence) |
| Reports to | Chief of the Defence Staff and Permanent Secretary |
| Appointer | Prime Minister (with royal approval) |
| Term length | |
| Inaugural holder | Major-General Sir Kenneth Strong |
| Website | |
The Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) is the head of Defence Intelligence (DI) within the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The CDI is either a serving three-star military officer or a senior civil servant and serves as the MOD’s ‘intelligence process owner’, responsible for the overall coordination of intelligence activities across the Armed Forces and single Service Commands.[1]
Role
The CDI leads an organisation of approximately 5,000 staff that provides all-source intelligence assessments to support military operations, policy-making and the wider UK intelligence community (in partnership with GCHQ, MI5 and MI6). The role is supported by two deputies: the civilian Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence (analysis and production) and the military Director of Cyber Intelligence and Information Integration (collection and capability).[1]
Known postholders
The post was initially titled Director-General Intelligence until 1984.
Director-General Intelligence
- Major-General Sir Kenneth Strong, 1964–1966[1]
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle, 1966–1968[1]
- Air Marshal Sir Harold Maguire, 1968–1972[1]
- Vice-Admiral Sir Louis Le Bailly, 1972–1975[1]
- Lieutenant-General Sir David Willison, 1975–1978[1]
- Air Chief Marshal Sir John Aiken, 1978–1981[1]
- Vice-Admiral Sir Roy Halliday, 1981–1984[1]
Chiefs of Defence Intelligence
- Air Marshal Sir Michael Armitage, 1984–1986[1]
- Lieutenant-General Sir Derek Boorman, 1986–1988[1]
- Vice-Admiral Sir John Kerr, 1988–1991[1]
- Air Marshal Sir John Walker, 1991–1994[1]
- Lieutenant-General Sir John Foley, 1994–1997[1]
- Vice-Admiral Sir Alan West, 1997–2000[1]
- Air Marshal Sir Joe French, 2000–2003[1]
- Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Ridgway, 2003–2006[1]
- Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, 2006–2009[1]
- Air Marshal Christopher Nickols, 2009–2012[1]
- Vice-Admiral Alan Richards, 2012–2015[1]
- Air Marshal Philip Osborn, 2015–2018[1]
- General Sir James Hockenhull, 2018–2022[1]
- Adrian Bird CB, 2022–present[2]
- Lieutenant-General Matthew Jones (designate; summer 2026)[3]