Clandestine Operation Law and Legal Definition

Clandestine operation means an intelligence operation conducted by governmental departments or agencies to assure secrecy or concealment. It is carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed. A clandestine operation differs from a covert operation as in a covert operation the identity of the sponsor is concealed, while in a clandestine operation the operation itself is concealed. However, some operations may be both covert and clandestine and may have both clandestine and covert aspects, such as the use of concealed remote sensors or human observers to direct artillery attacks and airstrikes.