Lieutenant General Matthew Jones

Chief Defence Intelligence UK Cyber & Specialist Operations Command

Lieutenant General Jones grew up in Portsmouth and studied history at Cambridge University. He commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1998. He has completed a wide range of regimental duty and intelligence appointments including four years attached to the Royal Marines. Over the years his operational service has included deployments to East Timor, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the wider Middle East, and Afghanistan. His company command involved deployment to Helmand as 16 Air Assault Brigade's senior intelligence officer.

As a Major his staff appointment was within the MOD's Operations Directorate. In 2012 he attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course. His Lieutenant Colonel staff appointment was in the Army Headquarters where he worked as the lead operational planner. Lieutenant General Jones commanded 4 Military Intelligence Battalion between 2015-2017. In 2017, Lieutenant General Jones became the Chief of Staff of HQ Force Troops Command. During this assignment he also attended the Higher Command and Staff Course. He then became Chief of Staff of the reformed 6th (UK) Division in 2019. In July 2020 he promoted to Brigadier and assumed command of 1st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Brigade.

In December 2021 he returned to the MOD as Head Military Strategy and Plans. He then promoted to Major General and became Director ISR within Defence Intelligence in August 2023. He promoted to Lieutenant General and became the Chief of Defence Intelligence in July 2026.

This role includes leadership of Defence's Military Intelligence Services. Lieutenant General Jones is Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Corps and Deputy Colonel Commandant of the Royal Military Police.