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===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 [[Heavy Gun Drones]], four [[Drone Sentry Turret]]s, two [[Tetra]]s, six [[Krootox]] or a dozen [[Kroot Hound]]s.{{Fn|1}}
==Battle Role==
Two or three Orca's can transport an entire Hunter cadre, drones, battlesuits and all, onto a planet's surface. These would not usually be dropped directly in combat, more likely be inserted onto the planets surface some distance from the enemy before moving into battle. During major planetary invasions the Orca provides important support to the Manta. Whilst Manta's transport the bulk of the Tau forces, Orca's allow a Shas'o to be flexible in the deployment of his Hunter cadres, using the Orca for special missions – such as deploying Pathfinders or Stealth suits close to the enemy for scouting and sabotage missions, or to transport important personnel, such as Ethereals, Diplomats or the Shas'o commander himself, and their bodyguards.{{Fn|5}}
On dangerous missions or if they have to approach a battlefield, a flight of Orca's will be defended by Barracuda's, whose job is to intercept enemy fighters or engage ground targets that threaten an Orca and its precious cargo. The Orca's ventral, pop-down turret mounted weaponry is not well suited to dog-fighting, although it provides some protection from interceptors attacking from below, climbing to intercept the descending Orca. The weaponry's main use is for sweep a landing zone with fire prior to a landing.{{Fn|5}}
==Ordo Xenos Classification==
*{{Endn|3}}: [[Imperial Armour - Apocalypse Second Edition]], pg. 77
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Courage and Honour (Novel)]] by [[Graham McNeill]], Chapter Nine
*{{Endn|5}}: [http://web.archive.org/web/20031124222619/http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/PDF/orca.pdf Experimental Rules] ''(saved archive page, dated December 2003, last accessed 10 February 2016)''
{{TauForces}}
[[Category:Vehicles (Tau)]]
[[Category:Flyers]]
[[de:Teufelsrochen]]
