Tactical Map

The Tactical Map is a device used by the HECU to coordinate air strikes against targets.

The Tactical Map makes its first appearance in Waste Processing Area 3 at the end of the Half-Life chapter Surface Tension where it is used by Gordon Freeman to destroy a Gargantua and parts of the environment that hinder his progress. Nearby the soldier originally manning the device, Cooper, can be found dead, and a HECU officer can be heard through the attached radio ordering him to mark his last targets or "get the heck out of there".

To mark a target with the Tactical Map's crosshair, two switches will move the two lines making the X and Y coordinates, the target being where the X and Y lines cross each other. When the target is marked, the button between the two other switches will launch an air strike on the specified area (although no plane is seen dropping the bombs). It is possible to fire at the platform where the map is located, receiving damage in the process. The Tactical Map is also mentioned in Opposing Force, when Shephard stands by the HECU officer giving the orders to Cooper through a radio.