Defence Intelligence Agency (India)
Director General | |
Parent department | Integrated Defence Staff |
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The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency responsible for providing and coordinating defence and military intelligence to the Indian Armed Forces.[1][2]
It was created in March 2002 and is administered within the Ministry of Defence.[2]
History
The creation of an intelligence agency coordinating the intelligence arms of the three military services had long been called for by senior Indian military officers.
Organisation
Director General
The Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency is the head of the entire organisation. The director general is the principal advisor on intelligence to the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff.[2] The post of the director general will be held in rotation between the three armed services. The first Director General of the DIA was Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar, former director of the mechanised forces of the Indian Army.[2][3] The Director General of the Agency is assisted by the Deputy Director General, held first by Air Marshal S. C. Malhan.[2]
Nodal agency
DIA is the nodal agency for all defence related intelligence, thus distinguishing it from the other Indian intelligence internal and external agencies. DIA controls the Indian Armed Forces' technical intelligence assets – the Directorate of Signals Intelligence, a tri-service agency, and the Defence Image Processing and Analysis Centre (DIPAC). While the Signals Directorate is responsible for acquiring and decrypting enemy communications, the DIPAC controls India's satellite-based image acquisition capabilities.[4]
The DIA also coordinates the Defence Information Warfare Agency (DIWA) which handles all elements of the information warfare repertoire, including psychological operations, cyber-war, electronic intercepts and the monitoring of sound waves.[5] Its operations are highly classified and has several successes to its credit which will remain a secret.[citation needed]
Functions
Before the creation of the Defence Intelligence Agency, the military intelligence capability of India's armed forces was limited to Field Intelligence Units (FIU) and separate intelligence arms of the services.
See also
References
- ^ "Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India". National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA)". Global Security.org. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "Defense Intelligence Agency to Start in February 2002". Federation of American Scientists. 30 January 2002. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
- ^ Sagar, Pradip R (9 November 2019). "Tech, a risk". The Week. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ Anand, Vinod (2008). "Integrating the Indian Military:Retrospect and Prospect | Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses". idsa.in. Retrieved 14 March 2020.