The "'''Orca Dropship" ''' is a dedicated orbital transport vehicle of the [[TauEmpire]]. Unlike the [[Space Marine]] [[Thunderhawk]] gunship Used for moving equipment, or the Tausupplies and troops from orbiting spacecraft to a planet's own far larger [[Manta]] flyersurface, the Orca it is not a front line vehicle; having but combat vessel, primarily armed for self-defense only. Orcas are sometimes use to accomplish special missions on the minimal armament field of a twin-linked long barreled [[burst cannon|Burst Cannons]] battle, and a single [[Missile Pod]], its primary role being troop transportationincludes advanced equipment for monitoring the progress of operations.

An Orca's large hold can carry up to 48 Tau ==History==On [[Fire Warrior|Fire WarriorsTaros]] over two hundred Orcs were estimated to have been used by the Tau to ferry supplies and their equipmenttroops to and from combat zones. Two or three Orcas can transport an entire [[Hunter Cadre|Hunter Cadre's]] worth A number of troops, modified variants were also used to insert [[Drone|dronesTau Pathfinder]], s and [[Battlesuit|battlesuitsStealthsuit Team]] onto a planet's surface. Where the Mantas provide the bulk of the Tau forces transportationdeep behind enemy lines, Orcas allow including [[Shas'oEl]] to be flexible in the deployment of their hunter cadres, with the Orca being frequently used on special missions where larger transporters would not be suitable. The OrcaK's anti-grav technology, toppled alongside its powerful quad ramjets lead to irri and his raiding force which severely damaged the Orca being unusually fast and highly maneuverable, despite its size and bulky appearance[[Imperial Navy]] airbase.{{Fn|1a}}

Prior to the Tau invasion of [[Pavonis]], an Orca Dropship delivered envoy [[Aun'rai]] of [[Dal'yth]] along with a [[Hunter Cadre]] under the command of [[El'esaven]] for a meeting with [[Governor]] [[Koudelkar Shonai]], his aunt [[Mykola Shonai]] and [[Administratum]] Observer [[Lortuen Perjed]]. However, the meeting was broken up by the arrival of [[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] [[Uriel Ventris]] and the [[Ultramarines]], and the Orca was destroyed when grenades fired by one of the Governor's [[skitarii]] bodyguards exploded within the troop compartment.{{Fn|4}} ==Technical Information=====Armament===The Orca 's armament is crewed insufficient for defending itself in a dogfight and primarily used for sweeping a landing zone of enemy forces. A pop-down turret located on the bottom of the hold holds [[twin-linked]] long-barreled [[Burst Cannon]]s, along with a [[Missile Pod]] pre-armed with seven missiles. These are controlled by the pilot through the fire control systems, which includes a single [[Caste SystemTargeting Array]] and [[Blacksun Filter]].{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|3}} The ship can also be fitted with up to four [[Seeker Missile]]s to provide support for [[Markerlight]]-equipped ground forces.{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|3}} ===Command and Control===The Orca's [[Air Caste]] pilotsits within the armored nose cone at the front of the shuttle, along with avionics processors, navigational, engine and fuel control systems. His cockpit also doubles as an escape pod, allowing him to jettison away from the craft should it be heavily damaged, and includes an automated location beacon. Information is fed to his flight control panel through the primary sensor bay, a squat dome located on top of the Orca, along with twin secure communications arrays located in the rear of the craft. These also contain an exterior air data sensor and its attack warning systems.{{Fn|1}} Located behind the nose cone is the tactical command centre is center, controlled by two [[Fire Caste ]] operators. A , which allows a [[Tau Commander]], or [[Ethereal]], can to oversee operations from herewithin the transport. The command center is connected to the main transport bay by access steps.{{Fn|1}} ===Defensive Equipment===While the Orca is armoured against enemy attacks, the shuttle is vulnerable to enemy attacks, and will normally be escorted by [[Barracuda]]s if forced to be used on the battlefield.{{Fn|1}} Other countermeasures include a [[Disruption Pod]] and [[Decoy Launcher]]s.{{Fn|3}} ===Engines===Powerful quad ramjets located on either side of the Orca's fuselage, combined with grav-plates positioned on its underside, give the craft exceptional speed and maneuverability in spite of its bulky size and allowing it to hover in mid-air. Orcas have been observed reaching speeds over 2000 km/h.{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|3}} ===Transport Capacity===The transport compartment of the Orca takes up the majority of the dropship's space and is accessible through a rear drop-down ramp. Seating is provided for twenty-four [[Fire Warrior]]s or equivalent-sized troops such as [[Kroot]], along with a separate command chair and transportation rack for eight [[Drone]]s. Additional standing room allows for another twenty-four Fire Warriors or Gun Drones, or up to six [[Crisis Battlesuit]]s or three [[Broadside Battlesuit]]s secured to an automated transportation rail. Other alternative loads include six [[Drone#Heavy Gun Drone|Heavy Gun Drones]], four [[Drone Sentry Turret]]s, two [[Tetra]]s, six [[Krootox]] or a dozen [[Kroot Hound]]s.{{Fn|1}} ==Ordo Xenos Classification=={|align=center border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"|-|style=background:#4F4F4F colspan=4 align=center|'''Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Record'''{{Fn|1}}|-|'''Serial Number'''|85673-908461|'''Main Armament'''|2 x [[Burst Cannon]]s[[Missile Pod]]|-|'''Designation'''|Dropship|||-|'''Vehicle Codename'''|''Orca''|'''Secondary Armament''' |N/A|-|'''Vehicle Type'''|Shuttle|||-|'''Crew'''|3. Pilot. 2 x Operators|'''Traverse'''|360°|-|'''Weight'''|25 tonnes|'''Elevation'''|From -90° to +0°|-|'''Length'''|21.45m|'''Ammunition'''|12 Missiles, 4000 Rounds|-|'''Width'''|14m|'''Armour Type'''|Nano-Crystalline AlloyComposition Unknown|-|'''Height'''|4.95m|||-|'''Max Recorded Speed'''|2100 KPH|||-|'''Summary'''|Transport shuttle carries up to 48 personnel or equipment|}

*^{{Endn|1 }}: [[Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign]], Pg. 202-207*{{Endn|2}}: [[Imperial Armour - Apocalypse]], Pg. 77*{{Endn|3}}: [[Imperial Armour - Apocalypse Second Edition]], Pg. 77*{{Endn|4}}: [[Courage and Honour (Novel)]] by [[Graham McNeill]], Chapter Nine