Orbital drop

"The sky! It rains metal!"

- Imperial Warrior at Amsterdam

The Orbital Drop, like the Magnetic Satellite, is one of the Soviet Support Powers in Red Alert 3. The Orbital Drop and its variants (see below) can be accessed via the Top Secret Protocol menu. Orbital Drop is the only Soviet Support Power that can harm buildings. Higher levels increases the size of the satellites dropped, as well as the radius effect, although the delay on the drop is increased.

Game effects
"Satellites! Such inelegant weapons!"

- Imperial Warrior

In Multiplayer, in order for Orbital Drop to be used, Terror Drone Surprise and Toxic Corrosion Top Secret Protocols must first be authorized. Orbital Drop, Dump & Downpour are best combined with Magnetic Satellite. Do note the higher level the Orbital Drop, the longer it takes for the actual satellite(s) to drop and the cooldown before the next drop.

There are 3 levels of Orbital Drop:


 * Orbital Drop - Decommissions 3 Space Probes (looking similar to Sputnik 1) to drop in on the target location, along with any other debris lifted up the last time the Magnetic Satellite was used. Causes light to moderate damage.
 * Orbital Dump - Decommissions 2 Satellites to drop in on the target location, along with other debris. Causes moderate damage to high damage.
 * Orbital Downpour - Decommissions 1 Space Station (looking almost exactly like Mir) to drop in on the target location, along with other debris. The damage caused is roughly equivalent to a superweapon.

When Orbital Drop is used, the actual satellites/probes/space station is preceded by falling debris. This debris does no damage to units or buildings on the ground but will instantly destroy any aircraft that are hit by the debris.

Using this to a transformed Gigafortress in the sky will only cause significant damage and will not destroy a Giga Fortress outright.

Trivia
Orbital Drop will only include the satellites and what you warped up using the Magnet the LAST time you used it. If you use Magnetic Satellite twice, what you warped up the first time will be dropped back into the atmosphere and burn up, and will not be dropped back when Orbital Dump is used.

Apparently this protocol is a new addition to the Soviet arsenal as its final piece of this protocol is just been launched by Soviet commander in his second battle. After launched, the commander is given chance to try this protocol directly.