Orca (Tiberian Dawn)

The ORCA Assault Craft is a multi-purpose support gunship of the Global Defence Initiative, appearing in Tiberian Dawn.
==Background==
Employing a set of twin articulated jet engines as propulsion in place of the classic rotary wing, the Orca has incredible manoeuvrability. These advantages came at the expense of armour, allowing the Orca to withstand only a few missile hits, provided it did not outrun these missiles first.
The craft is armed with two weapons - a six barrelled, 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.
Its 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.
===Deployments===
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.Dialogue clips in Always.dat: m00gnod_gcon0017r3nors_snd.wav and several others near it.
===Legacy===
During the Second Tiberium War, these units were succeeded by the Orca fighter.
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.
==Game unit==
The Orca is GDI's airborne unit in Tiberian Dawn, flying at high speeds and outfitted with rockets. It is capable of taking out armoured vehicles, and is particularly effective against Nod light tanks, buggies, and turrets, as they have no anti-aircraft capability. When used in conjunction with Ion Cannon strikes, the Orca can easily destroy enemy structures. The Orca can carry up to five salvos of TOW rockets, and would need to return to a helipad for reloading.
The Orca can also target and attack airborne enemies such as the Apache.
==Appearances==
The Orca is first available to the player in Orcastration.
==Trivia==
* In the opening cutscene for the Nod mission, Orca Heist, Seth mistakenly addressed the Orca as a "new helicopter". It is possible that the Orca's VTOL technology was so advanced for its time that it was widely perceived as a type of helicopter by Nod intelligence. 
==Gallery==
TD_ORCA_Assault_Craft_Render.jpg|Render
Orca_Fighter_1.jpg|Flight render
Orca_Fighter_2.jpg|Firing render
ORCA2.png|Firing, from the GamePro art archive 13
TD_Orca_Info.png|Promo render
TD_Orca_dodge_anti-air_missile.png|Dodge anti-air missile
TD_Orca_Grey_Render.png|Render in gray color
TD_ORCA_Guide_Scan_Model.jpg|Brady Games' strategy guide render scan
TD_Orca_Cameo_Render.jpg|Icon render
TD_Orca_test_Cutscene.gif|Test flight
LiftTruck_CC1_Rend1.png|An ORCA Assault Craft deployed from a freight truck
TDR Orca Steam Trading Card render.jpg|Render from Command & Conquer: Remastered, used as Steam trading card
===Cameos===
==Videos==
==See also==
* Apache, Nod attack helicopter counterpart
* Orca, Renegade variant
==References==
Category:Tiberian Dawn aircraft