UNSC Naval Intelligence Department of Covert Operations

The UNSC Naval Intelligence Department of Covert Operations, colloquially referred to as "Covert Ops", was an undisclosed department of the Directorate of Strategic Intelligence, UNSC Office of Naval Intelligence. A collaboration between the Office of Naval Intelligence and the Special Operations Command, it was a member of Strategic Intelligence's Directorate of Foreign Intelligence.
It was responsible for special activities prosecuted by Naval Intelligence, many of these covert actions that were not legally sanctioned by the United Nations Space Command. Often through subtle paramilitary and political influences, Covert Operations was an infamous puppeteer of galactic politics, "remodeling" planetary and galactic governments through various ambiguous means. Its duties made it the most infamous section of the Directorate of Strategic Intelligence, followed by the Naval Intelligence Office of Special Investigations.
Formerly a classified section underneath the Directorate of Special Intelligence, its jurisdiction was later transferred to the growing and dark Directorate of Strategic Intelligence after the Human-Covenant War. 
Lieutenant Commander Wakes was undoubtedly the most famous officer of the Department of Covert Operations, and was almost entirely responsible for the UNSC's victory in the Memory Crisis. Lieutenant Colonel Courtney Archer West and Commander Karen Elizabeth Wakes were notable officers of Covert Ops during the Galactic Era.
The paramilitary component of Covert Operations demanded both direct action specialists from the special warfare community and case handlers and political officers from Naval Intelligence. All special mission units attached to the UNSC Progressive Warfare Command, Special Operations Command were placed directly under the control of the Department of Covert Operations — the direct action components of Covert Operations were directly drawn from the most highly-trained special operators in the UNSC Defense Force, such as Naval Special Warfare Group Six. 
Eventually, the entire breadth of Special Warfare Group SPARTAN would be placed under the jurisdiction of Covert Operations. While the High-Priority Assassination Program was one of the first units transferred into the conception of Covert Ops during its inception, later, it would be joined by the remaining SPARTAN Programs. After the conclusion of the Beyond Veil's Azure Crisis, Task Force Myrmidon was also placed under Covert Operations.
==References==
*Halo: Galactic Era
Category:UNSC