Major General Matthew Jones OBE has been named as the next Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), a move confirmed by Defence Secretary John Healey following approval from His Majesty the King.
Major General Jones, who will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, is scheduled to succeed the incumbent, Adrian Bird, in the summer of 2026. This appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the UK’s intelligence infrastructure, following the most significant reform of the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) intelligence functions in recent decades.
The leadership transition is a central component of a broader restructuring mandated by the Strategic Defence Review. In December 2025, the MOD established Military Intelligence Services (MIS), a unified command structure that integrates every intelligence unit and organisation across the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, and Civil Service for the first time. This consolidation is designed to enhance the speed and efficacy of data collection, assessment, and sharing across the five operational domains: land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. For industry partners and sub-contractors, this unified approach signals a more integrated requirement for data exploitation, targeting capabilities, and interoperable Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) technologies.
Major General Jones brings more than 30 years of operational experience to the position, including multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the wider Middle East. His current tenure as Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance has seen him oversee intelligence collection, capability development, and training. This technical background is particularly relevant to the UK defence supply chain, as he will be responsible for leading the transformation of the intelligence enterprise to raise warfighting readiness and support strategic decision-making within the Integrated Force.
The leadership transition occurs against a backdrop of heightening security challenges. Official figures indicate that hostile intelligence activity against the MOD has increased by more than 50% over the past year. In response, the MOD launched the Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit (DCIU) last year to safeguard national assets and personnel. This shift underscores the critical importance of robust security protocols and counter-intelligence standards for all businesses operating within the defence sector. As head of MIS, Major General Jones will operate as a vital part of the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command. For the defence industry, this evolution suggests a sustained requirement for advanced analytics, sovereign intelligence capabilities, and collaborative innovation with allies to maintain a strategic advantage in an increasingly contested global environment.
Image credit Alex Segre Shutterstock.com
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Post written by: Vicky Maggiani
Vicky has worked in media for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.
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