(DoD) Command authority over assigned or attached forces or commands, or military capability or forces made available for tasking, that is limited to the detailed direction and control of movements or maneuvers within the operational area necessary to accomplish missions or tasks assigned. Tactical control is inherent in operational control. Tactical control may be delegated to, and exercised at any level at or below the level of combatant command. Tactical control provides sufficient authority for controlling and directing the application of force or tactical use of combat support assets within the assigned mission or task. Also called TACON. See also combatant command; combatant command (command authority); operational control.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). tactical control. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/tactical_control/definitions/1964282 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "tactical control" http://smartdefine.org/tactical_control/definitions/1964282 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, tactical control, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/tactical_control/definitions/1964282>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "tactical control" 4 April 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/tactical_control/definitions/1964282> |