The Ministry of Defence is consolidating its intelligence operations in a significant move to bolster the UK's defence against evolving global threats.
This strategic overhaul follows revelations from the inquiry into the 2018 Novichok poisoning of Dawn Sturgess, which highlighted that foreign intelligence services are now operating "far beyond traditional espionage norms," according to the MoD.
The report's findings, which concluded that a Russian GRU military intelligence squad attempted to assassinate Sergei Skripal by applying the nerve agent to his Salisbury door handle, prompted the UK to impose sanctions on the entire GRU agency.
The shake-up announced on Friday brings together units from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, UK Space Command and Permanent Joint Headquarters to speed up information gathering from land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.
Following recommendations in the strategic defence review, the creation of the Military Intelligence Services comes as hostile states ramp up attacks on cyber networks, satellites and global shipping lanes and the spread of disinformation.
To counter hostile intelligence activity against the MoD, which has risen by more than 50 per cent over the past year, the department is also launching a new Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “As threats increase, we are making defence intelligence smarter.
“This Government is delivering the recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review, putting Britain at the leading edge of military innovation.
“For intelligence, this means cutting-edge technology, clearer structures and faster data flows. This gives us sharper insights into what our adversaries might do next, so we protect our forces, safeguard critical infrastructure, and deter changing threats.
“Our intelligence work is usually unseen but always essential. I am grateful to all our Military Intelligence Services personnel whose round-the-clock vigilance keeps the UK secure at home and strong abroad.”
The Military Intelligence Services will operate under the command of the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command.
Its commander, General Sir Jim Hockenhull, said intelligence operations “underpinning” defence “are always on” in an “increasingly complex and volatile world where threats are always evolving”.
He said: “The establishment of the Military Intelligence Services and the Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit are significant steps forward in strengthening the UK’s ability to anticipate threats, enabling faster and more precise action, supporting our Armed Forces, and protecting our citizens.”
Sir Keir Starmer said the Dawn Sturgess inquiry showed the UK must “remain vigilant” to “reckless” Russian hostile activity on UK soil.
“Whether it’s intelligence, whether it’s the operations that are carried out from places such as this, we do everything within our power … to keep our citizens safe from all threats, but particularly at the moment threats from Russia,” the Prime Minister said last week.
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