Military attaché
Diplomat by role / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A military attaché or defence attaché (DA),[1] sometimes known as a "military diplomat",[2] is an official responsible for military matters within a diplomatic mission, typically an embassy.[3] They are usually high-ranking members of the armed forces who retain their commission while being accorded full diplomatic status and immunity.[4]
Generally, a military attaché serves as a representative of their country's defense establishment, with responsibility over all aspects of bilateral military and defense relations.[1] Their main roles include advising diplomatic officials on security matters and gathering intelligence on the host country's armed forces; they may also be tasked with other security issues, such as migration or law enforcement matters.[1][2] The duties, qualifications, and management of a military attaché varies between governments.
The term "attaché" is French and denotes an individual who is assigned ("attached") to a diplomatic mission to fulfill a particular specialized function. Generically, a military or defense attaché may come from any branch of the armed forces, although some governments designate an attaché to represent a specific service branch, such as an air force or naval attaché.