A tactical victory may refer to a victory that results in the completion of a tactical objective as part of an operation or a victory where the losses of the defeated outweigh those of the victor.
Large scale planning of goals may be called strategy and are conducted at the "strategic level of war". Operations at a lower level which fulfil the strategic planning are conducted at the "operational level of war". The lowest level of planning which fulfills operational goals and strategy is called the "tactical level of war".
A tactical mission is one within the operational area which aims to complete the goals of the assigned mission or task given by "tactical control" and so a tactical victory would be the successful completion of that mission. Tactical missions contribute to the success or failure of the whole operation. Tactics include the handling of assets such as soldiers, vehicles, weapons, and munitions and tactics might be as simple as the combat maneuvering of an individual soldier in a skirmish with an enemy soldier. The definition of tactical victory may become blurred in large scale tactical maneuvering of troops in division-sized formations or the operational goals of company-sized units to exercise control of important positions as these contribute in different ways to the success or failure of operations and strategy.