Formed 1990 | Parent agency Department of Defence | |
Preceding agencies Joint Intelligence Organisation
Joint Intelligence Bureau Headquarters Russell Offices, Canberra Website www.defence.gov.au/dio/ | ||
The Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) is an Australian government military intelligence intelligence agency responsible for strategic intelligence and technical intelligence assessments, advising Defence and Government decision-making on national security and international security issues, and the planning and conduct of Australian Defence Force operations. The DIO does not collect intelligence or conduct covert action. The DIO also works on defence economics, transnational terrorism, and WMD.
Contents
The DIO is an agency of the Australian Intelligence Community and is part of the Defence Strategic Policy and Intelligence Group alongside the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).
Joint Intelligence Bureau
In the post-World War II period, the military intelligence and strategic assessments functions were shared between the Navy, Army and Air Force intelligence directorates and the Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) from 1947 to 1969. The Bureau was responsible for geographic, infrastructure and economic intelligence – mainly in Australia's region. In 1957, the JIB's responsibilities were expanded to include scientific and technical intelligence.
Joint Intelligence Organisation
In 1969, the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) was formed from a merger of JIB with most of the foreign assessment elements of the three armed services. Following the first Hope Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security, the Office of National Assessments was established in 1977 as a statutory independent agency assuming the foreign intelligence assessment of the JIO. JIO was then reoriented to focus more closely on defence intelligence and strategic interests. The second Hope Commission endorsed these arrangements in 1984. In 1989, counterterrorism was added to JIO's responsibilities.
Following a review of Defence intelligence in 1989 by the then Major General John Baker, the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) was established in 1990 as Defence's sole strategic level, all-source intelligence assessment agency.
Organisation
The DIO was established in 1990 as the strategic-level, all-source intelligence assessment agency for the Department of Defence. It is not an autonomous body; unlike the Office of National Assessments, the DIO is a subordinate organisation within the Department of Defence with no separate statutory mandate or direct budget line. The organisation's character and purpose is defined by its position within the defence portfolio.
The DIO is an integrated civilian–military organisation, with the majority of staff being public servants recruited through either the defence Graduate Program or direct entry.
Operations
The DIO's assessments focus on the Asia-Pacific region and cover strategic, political, defence, military, economic, scientific and technical areas. The DIO's intelligence products help inform decisions about Australia's military activities at home and abroad, Defence acquisition processes, force readiness decisions, strategic policy, international relations and defence scientific developments.
The DIO also maintains close links with the intelligence agencies of other allied countries. In addition, the DIO maintains links with the intelligence agencies of a range of other countries to foster dialogue and the exchange of information and as a contribution to defence relationships with regional countries.
Australian troops deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq were briefed by the DIO on enemy weapons and forces.
Directors
The position of Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation is a two-star rank position.