CIA Directorate of Operations

The Directorate of Operations is the arm of the CIA responsible for clandestine intelligence collection and covert action (ref 1).

Nomenclature

The CIA's clandestine arm was known as the Directorate of Plans from 1951 until 1973, when it became the Directorate of Operations (ref 2). In 2005, it became the National Clandestine Service (ref 3). This name change was reverted in 2015 (ref 11).