Clandestine operation A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed by the general population . The United States Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms ( Joint Publication JP1 - 02 , dated 5 January 2007 ) defines " clandestine operation " as " 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 . " ( JP 3 - 05 . 1 ) . The bulk of clandestine operations are related to the gathering of intelligence , typically by both people ( Clandestine HUMINT ) and by hidden sensor s . Placement of underwater or land - based communications cable taps , cameras , microphone s , traffic sensors , monitors such as sniffer s , and similar systems require that the mission go undetected and unsuspected . Clandestine sensors may also be on unmanned underwater vehicle s , reconnaissance ( spy ) satellites ( such as Misty ) , low - observability unmanned aerial vehicle s ( UAV ) , or unmanned detectors ( as in Operation Igloo White and its successors ) , or hand - placed by clandestine human operations . The terms " clandestine " and " covert " are not synonymous . As noted in the definition ( which has been used by the United States and NATO since World War II ) in a covert operation the identity of the sponsor is concealed , while in a clandestine operation the operation itself is concealed . Put differently , " clandestine " means " hidden " , while " covert " means " deniable " . The term " stealth " refers both to a broad set of tactic s aimed at providing and preserving the element of surprise and reducing enemy resistance . It can also be used to describe a set of technologies ( stealth technology ) to aid in those tactics . While secrecy and stealthiness are often desired in clandestine and covert operations , the terms " secret " and " stealthy " are not used to formally describe types of missions . Some operations may have both clandestine and covert aspects , such as the use of concealed remote sensors or human observers to direct artillery attacks and airstrike s . The attack is obviously covert ( coming under attack alerts the target that he has been located by the enemy ) , but the targeting component ( the exact method that was used to locate targets ) can remain clandestine . In World War II , targets found through cryptanalysis of radio communication , were attacked only if there had been aerial reconnaissance in the area , or , in the case of the shootdown of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto , where the sighting could be attributed to the Coastwatchers . During the Vietnam War , trucks attacked on the Ho Chi Minh trail were completely unaware of some sensors , such as the airborne Black Crow device that sensed their ignition . They could also have been spotted by a clandestine human patrol . Harassing and interdiction ( H & I ) or free - fire zone rules can also cause a target to be hit for purely random reasons . Until the 1970s , clandestine operations were primarily political in nature , generally aimed at assisting groups or nations favored by the sponsor . Examples include U . S . intelligence involvement with German and Japanese war criminals after World War II . Today these operations are numerous and include technology - related clandestine operations .