Photo By Senior Airman Kevin Hernandez | U.S. Space Force Capt. George Eberwine, Space System Command (SSC) System Delta 89...... read more read more
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Space Force has completed a Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) VICTUS program exercise, known as VICTUS DIEM, codifying the rapid launch tactics and techniques necessary to enable service’s posturing capabilities for urgent national security and warfighter demands.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The U.S. Space Force (USSF) successfully executed a Space Safari Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) exercise known as VICTUS DIEM, codifying the necessary rapid payload processing and launch tactics and techniques necessary for posturing the service to meet urgent national security and warfighter demands.
VICTUS DIEM was created to generate additional opportunities that exercise rapid launch capabilities with commercial partnership integration into the government process. The results provide a continued focus on refining and codifying a repeatable process for rapid launch as part of the broader VICTUS program.
The Space Safari team under Space Systems Command (SSC) System Delta 89 (SYD 89), with support from SSC’s Space Access and Space Combat Power portfolios, is the end-to-end mission lead for the TacRS program focused on pioneering the development of TacRS capabilities and processes. Lockheed Martin and Firefly Aerospace were the industry partnerships that provided commercial integration throughout both phases of the exercise.
“This exercise was powerful demonstration of what is achievable through swift collaboration and the strategic leveraging of our commercial partners to meet critical government needs—providing invaluable insight into the future of responsive space,” said USSF Lt. Col. Cliff Johnson, SYD 89’s Space Safari director of operations.
The VICTUS DIEM exercise was comprised of two stages: a tabletop exercise (TTX) demonstration of a rapid space vehicle processing timeline in late 2025, and a rapid launch Field Training Exercise (FTX) in early 2026.
The rapid payload processing TTX demonstrated spacecraft arrival operations, checkouts, mating, and encapsulation which were completed in under twelve hours. The rapid launch FTX executed a 36-hour simulation to practice and advance responsive launch protocols required to execute a TacRS space mission within a threat scenario.
VICTUS DIEM successes came as the result of direct collaboration with Space Launch Delta 30 (SLD 30) and Space Access’s Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) throughout the various components of the exercise.
“At the Western Range and SLD 30, we play an important role in supporting these exercises,” said USSF Col. James T. Horne, III, SLD 30 commander and director of the Western Launch and Test Range. “We did the tabletop exercise to establish the command relationships between the various entities that have to execute the mission. We set that up like a Joint Task Force, leveraging the way we conduct combat operations to work through all the relationships so that we can go from an urgent need to liftoff quickly.”
Horne added that a unique element of VICTUS DIEM was the inclusion of the combatant command piece, through U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), alongside the USSF-retained launch functions that SSC’s SLDs provide from their ranges. This element ensures relationships and processes are integrated, reducing the timeline to deliver critical capabilities to the warfighter.
“You are starting to see those two pieces come closer together and work more collaboratively to get the capability on orbit, and execute it almost immediately compared to a standard delivery timeline,” Horne stated. “We are increasing the pace at which we can field capabilities and execute them for urgent combat needs.”
Space Access’s RSLP team provided expertise for critical inputs from the program office alongside SLD 30, ensuring a collective approach to codify the processes and procedures necessary for real-world execution.
“Launch is a team sport, so my RSLP team was at the tabletop exercise alongside SLD 30 to make sure we were bringing the base part of this, the rocket part of this—all of this together to make sure we have the processes and procedures in place to be able to respond when that customer is ready,” said USSF Col. Eric Zarybnisky, acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space Access.
The collective efforts throughout VICTUS DIEM facilitated the relationships necessary to further develop the TacRS program.
“This exercise, in close collaboration between SSC, USSPACECOM, and our industry partners at Lockheed Martin and Firefly, proves that critical space capabilities can be delivered on accelerated timelines to meet the most urgent national security and warfighter demands,” Johnson said. “The end result is advancement of the service’s ability to posture for rapid on-orbit delivery of capabilities that meet those demands, and maintain the superiority and advantage against evolving threats.”
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.20.2026 18:28 |
| Story ID: | 561053 |
| Location: | EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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