A Clandestine operation is a military or Intelligence operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed.
| “ | Clandestine Operation: An operation sponsored or conducted by governmental departments or agencies in such a way as to assure secrecy or concealment. A clandestine operation differs from a covert operation in that emphasis is placed on concealment of the operation rather than on concealment of the identity of the sponsor. In special operations, an activity may be both covert and clandestine and may focus equally on operational considerations and intelligence-related activities. See also covert operation; overt operation. (JP 3-05.1). From The U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms - Joint Publication JP1-02 dated 05 January 2007 | ” |
The bulk of clandestine operations are related to the gathering of intelligence, but, while the operational personnel themselves should not be detected, they may direct air or artillery strikes. Placement of observation devices, sensors, and other systems require that the mission go undetected and unsuspected. There are also clandestine operations that are political in nature, generally aimed at assisting groups or nations favored by the sponsor, or undermining groups or nations opposed by the sponsor.
