Matthew Jones appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence
On 5 February 2026, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that His Majesty the King has approved the appointment of Major General Matthew Jones OBE as the next Chief of Defence Intelligence, on promotion to Lieutenant General. He will take up the post in the summer of 2026, succeeding Adrian Bird. We’ll walk you through what the job is, how the new Military Intelligence Services works, and why this reform matters. (gov.uk)
If you’re studying defence or teaching it, think of the CDI as the person who makes sure information turns into sound decisions. The role leads Defence Intelligence and-since last year’s reform-steers the programme that brings military intelligence together so commanders and ministers get clearer, faster advice. It’s about readiness: spotting risk early and acting in time.
What changed under MIS? In December 2025, Defence brought together intelligence teams from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, UK Space Command and the Permanent Joint Headquarters into one enterprise. The aim is quicker, cleaner sharing of data across Defence, government and allies, using information from land, sea, air, space and cyberspace in real time. (gov.uk)
Why the shake‑up now? The Ministry of Defence says hostile intelligence activity against Defence has risen by more than 50% in the past year. Alongside MIS, it launched the Defence Counter‑Intelligence Unit (DCIU) to detect and disrupt spying, sabotage and other attempts to compromise UK forces and infrastructure. (gov.uk)
Who is Matthew Jones? A British Army officer with more than 30 years’ service, his record includes deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and the wider Middle East. He currently directs Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)-overseeing how Defence collects information, trains specialists and protects against hostile infiltration. (gov.uk)
What happens next? Adrian Bird remains in post until the summer handover, giving continuity while reforms bed in. The King’s approval is a constitutional step-ministers recommend, the monarch formalises-and Jones will assume the role on promotion to Lieutenant General when he starts. (gov.uk)
Quick glossary for your lesson plan: Chief of Defence Intelligence-senior MoD intelligence leader who runs Defence Intelligence and now leads MIS; Military Intelligence Services-Defence’s effort to coordinate how the services collect, assess and share intelligence at speed; Defence Counter‑Intelligence Unit-team focused on detecting and stopping foreign spying or sabotage against Defence; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)-systems and people that gather information from satellites, aircraft, sensors and human reporting; ‘targeting and exploitation’-turning intelligence into action and learning fast from captured data and equipment.
Common questions we hear: Is MIS the same as MI5 or MI6? No-MIS sits within the Ministry of Defence and supports the Armed Forces; MI5 handles domestic security, SIS (MI6) runs much of the UK’s overseas human intelligence, and GCHQ leads signals intelligence. Do these reforms change your rights? This announcement is about organisation and leadership; it does not announce new powers. The goal is better coordination and quicker decision‑making inside Defence.
Media literacy note: this is a government announcement. Treat it as an official record of the appointment and an explanation of why Defence is reorganising. Good practice is to pair press releases with parliamentary scrutiny and independent reporting as the reforms roll out, so you can compare what was promised with what is delivered.
What to watch this year: how MIS improves the speed and clarity of assessments for commanders; how counter‑intelligence activity is prioritised after the reported 50% rise; and how the summer handover is managed so operations and training continue smoothly. We’ll keep tracking how these changes show up in real‑world decisions.