ORCA Assault Craft
Unit
Affiliation	GDI Nod (briefly, acquired blueprints)
Role	Gunship
Armament	Dragon TOW missiles Gatling gun
Protection	Light
Production
Cost	1200
Build time	80

The ORCA Assault Craft is a multi-purpose support gunship of the Global Defence Initiative, appearing in Tiberian Dawn.

BackgroundEdit

Employing a set of twin articulated jet engines as propulsion in place of the classic rotary wing, the ORCA has incredible maneuverability. These advantages came at the expense of armour, allowing the Orca to withstand only a few missile hits, provided it didn't outrun these missiles first.

The craft is armed with two weapons - a six barreled, forward mounted gatling gun (equipped with a searchlight) and a pair of Dragon TOW missile launchers on its sides, each containing nine rockets. Some later models had two forward mounted machine guns. Be advised, the gun is somewhat inoperable in game.

It's compact design allows it to fit in small passages such as canyons with ease, as well as be transported and deployed from freight trucks or specially designed resupply and transportation trucks. The fuselage dimensions limit the crew size to only a single pilot, limiting the craft's performance in combat somewhat.

LegacyEdit

While it had its drawbacks, the design proved so effective during the First Tiberium War, that it served as a basis for GDI's air forces design up to the Third Tiberium War. It was found to be particularly effective against Nod M2 Bradleys and buggies, as they had no anti aircraft capability.

DeploymentsEdit

	The following is based on the Nod campaign of Tiberian Dawn and some details might contradict canon.

Nod acquired the Orca during the Campaign in Africa, taking over a test facility - however, due to the engines emitting too much heat and being extremely vulnerable to IR tracking missiles, and the costs associated with fuel, Nod chose not to produce the Orca. However, they did keep the blueprints after their assault.^[1]

In-gameEdit

The Orca is GDI's airborne unit in Tiberian Dawn, flying at high speeds and outfitted with rockets.

Cut ContentEdit

Initially, there was a special mobile helipad to appear in the game, but it was cut.

GalleryEdit

An ORCA Assault Craft deployed from a freight truck.

Render

Another ORCA lifting from a specially designed resupply/refit truck

A modernised ORCA wing deploying

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VideosEdit

Orca field test

10th GDI Mission Briefing, featuring the first Orca deployments

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ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ Dialogue clips in Always.dat: m00gnod_gcon0017r3nors_snd.wav and several others near it

v·d·e ORCA Aircraft
First Tiberium War ORCA Assault Craft Second Tiberium War Orca Fighter • Orca Bomber • Orca Carryall • Orca Dropship • Orca Transport • Orca Command Third Tiberium War A-15 Orca • Orca Strike Craft • ZOCOM Orca Third Interbellum Orca Mk. IV Ascension Conflict Orca Mk. V Cancelled Tiberium Orca drone

v·d·e Global Defense Initiative First Tiberium War Arsenal

Unit Infantry Minigunner • Rocket soldier • Grenadier • Engineer • Commando Vehicles Armoured personnel carrier • Humvee • Medium tank • MCV • Harvester • MLRS • Mammoth tank Aircraft ORCA Assault Craft • F-23 Black Widow (cutscenes only) • Chinook • A-10 ground support plane • C-130 Hercules (cutscenes only) • F/A-18C/D Hornet (cutscenes only) Vessels Gunboat • Hovercraft • Aircraft carrier (cutscenes only) Structures Production Construction yard • Barracks • Weapons factory • Helipad Support Power plant • Advanced power plant • Tiberium silo • Tiberium refinery • Communications center • Repair facility • Advanced communications center Defenses Guard tower • Advanced guard tower