DIO’s mission is to provide the best intelligence possible to its customer, whether that is the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, a government policymaker or a battlefield commander.
To achieve this mission, DIO provides independent intelligence assessments on:
- foreign countries and organisations
- military capabilities
- weapons systems
- cyber threats
- defence-related technologies.
DIO works in collaboration with the National Intelligence Community (NIC) and the national intelligence and security agencies of Australia’s Allies.
The DIO’s intelligence and advice informs critical decisions relating to the planning and conduct of Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations, defence capability, policy development, and wider government planning and decision making.
DIO also provides specialist advice to support whole-of-government strategies. This includes countering proliferation and combating terrorism.
