Ordnance pod

Ordnance pods, formally referred to as Materiel Acquisition Pods (MAP), are rearmament capsules frequently used to rearm UNSC ground units in hazardous combat situations. Launched from the air or suborbital positions, they are deployed to provide weapons and equipment for UNSC forces deep behind enemy lines or outside the range of a forward operating base.

Description
A resupply canister is a long, oblong capsule, typically painted in olive green drab or gray. In the interior is a stiff blue or black/gray foam that encapsulates a firearm, typically an M7 submachine gun, BR55 battle rifle, M90 shotgun, SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle, MA5C assault rifle, or M41 rocket launcher. Most pods are saved for heavy ordnance and munitions, or long-range equipment. Upon impact, a gas-pressured release system pops off a set of panels on the upper surfaces of the capsule, revealing a partial profile of the weapon within.

D77-TC Pelican dropships may carry six resupply canisters on their tail assemblies and eject them in sequence, allowing the capsules to air-drop to the ground and implant themselves firmly into the ground, similar to the ODST Human Entry Vehicle. Ordnance pods can also be deployed by GA-TL1 Longswords.

Variants
There are several variants of ordnance pods. Some of the most prominent include the Type-B Capsule, and the Type-C Capsule. The Type-C Capsule was later used in the Battle of Installation 00.

Type-B Capsule
The Type-B Capsule, which has a length of 2.76 meters (9.06 feet), was utilised during the Battle of Installation 05, during which the forces of the were resupplied on the ground by Pelican dropships carrying Type-B pods.

Type-C Capsule
The Type-C Capsule has a very similar profile to the Type-B, though also has several major differences. Notably, where the Type-B exposed the entire upper half of the interior pod once deployed, the Type-C instead simply pops off a smaller section of hatch. The Type-C also has a much more rounded profile and a flashing red light on the top. These pods were employed by forces operating on The Ark during the Battle of Installation 00.

M2859 Materiel Acquisition Pod
The M2859 Materiel Acquisition Pod is a type of ordnance pod developed by Misriah Armory and commonly employed in the years following the Human-Covenant War. The M2859 pod is equipped with a short-range thruster on top for acceleration during deployment. The hatches are secured in to the extremely durable casing by a pressurized locking mechanism and magnetic latches on the sides. On its underside, the pod features a weighted anchor and a tapered nose, allowing it to breach most types of terrain and remain upright. The pod is 242.1 centimeters (95.3in) tall, 82.5 cm (32.5in) wide on one side and 83.5 cm (32.9in) on the other.

War Games exercises train Spartan-IV personnel to summon these pods in the battlefield to a maximum efficiency.

Fall of Reach variant
An unidentified variant of Ordnance Pod was employed during the Fall of Reach. Unlike previously-mentioned variants of Ordnance Pod, this variant was deployed by Longsword fighters.

Gameplay
In Halo 2, Ordnance Pods first appear on the levels Delta Halo and Regret, wherein they are used to resupply the player with UNSC armaments while on Installation 05. In Halo 3, they are encountered on the level The Covenant, in which they are deployed just before the player enters the first barrier tower. In Halo 3, these pods can also be spawned in the Forge map editor on the levels High Ground and Valhalla, the latter of which having several pods already spawned as the site of weapon drops for multiplayer. Ordnance Pods do not make a reappearance in Halo: Reach outside of Firefight, in which the player is resupplied with power weapons delivered by Longsword-deployed pods. In Halo 4, deployment pods return in Spartan Ops, where they are used once again to deliver heavy weapons and ordnance to the player from orbit. They are also employed in War Games, where they are used to denote the site of power weapon spawns on multiplayer maps.

Trivia

 * In the Halo 2 level Delta Halo it is possible to move these weapon capsules after they have been deployed by a Pelican by pushing them with a Scorpion or Type-26 Wraith.
 * These pods can kill the player in Halo 2 if one stands right under them when they are dropped.
 * In Halo 3 via Forge, players can embed them into the ground, creating vehicle barriers.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo 2: Anniversary