Orca (Tiberium Wars)

The A-15 Orca Gunship is a GDI anti-surface aircraft in Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath.

Background
The SAAB/Lancaster Lifting Body, Inc. designed the new variant basing on the "make the tech visible" doctrine of GDI's design. The resulting A-15 Orca is the most advanced attack aircraft in GDI's engineering history.

Technical specifications
The new model of the Orca features two ducted VTOL aerodynes, providing a maximum speed of 400 knots, with a combat range of 482 kilometers, or 1899 kilometers when stripped of combat gear. Its maximum flight altitude is 12 801 meters, with a climb rate of up to 762 meters per minute, with a power to mass ratio of 0.19 lbs/hp.

It is 58.3 ft long, 48 ft wide, and 12.7 ft high, the Orca also utilizes wing warping for enhanced agility in-flight. It features a NOTAR (NO TAil Rotor) tail assembly, with a retractable carriage for landing. The NOTAR based design was not actually required as Orca's basic design is naturally stable by two VTOL contra rotating closed fan. The NOTAR based design was meant for added convenience. The major departure from the previous design is the model's ability to have a reload of fuel and ammo while flying; it enables them to fly near indefinitely. This feature is useful for patrolling and area guard and gave them similar capability with Nod's Venom.

The aircraft is crewed by a pilot and a copilot/gunner.

Armament
Its armament varies, but is in every way superior to its predecessors, and can be armed with an M230 30mm autocannon with 1200 rounds, Hellfire V rockets, AIM-500 Stinger air to air missiles, AGM-240 Sidearm air-to-ground missiles, AIM-18 Sidewinder air intercept missiles and Hydra 70 unguided air-to-ground rockets. Missiles and rockets are mounted on pylons just below the cockpit. Unfortunately, the standard Orca used by most GDI commanders do not have the autocannon or the air-to-air missiles: only 6 air-to-ground Sidearm guided missiles. As a result, they are only effective against vehicles and structures and are sitting ducks for any aircraft with air to air capability (Venoms, Stormriders, Firehawks, etc.). The missiles cannot track moving infantry, but will kill most with a single hit.

In addition, the Orca is equipped with pulse scanners, allowing it to discharge a pulse, revealing all stealthed units within a radius for a short period of time.

Unused
In the concept art, several other upgrades appear, including:
 * Nominal Extended Range Fuel (NERF) tanks - extended flight time and range
 * Linebacker Lifting Body Combat Thrust Retrofit (LBCR) engine upgrade
 * Hammerhead High-Frequency Massive Radiant Disruptor (HMRD) EMP

Game unit
This aircraft follows the legacy of the old Orca Assault Aircraft, as it is still equipped with air to ground missiles. The difference between the Venom's stealth detection and its stealth detection capabilities is that the Orca will only activate its scanners when ordered to do so, whereas the Venom will automatically detect any stealthed units that are nearby.

The Orca's rockets are effective against vehicles and good against buildings (though the Firehawk far outperforms the Orca versus structures). As an assault aircraft, what the Orca specializes in is the hunting of vehicles—with a plentiful load of powerful guided rockets: it can quickly reduce to scrap most vehicles it can manage to get a lock on. A single orca can destroy most singular Tier 1-2 vehicles and battle tanks such as Scorpions and Devourers in just one attack run.

Due to their formidable firepower against vehicles, most GDI commanders will find it ideal to use Orcas as a counter to enemy armor divisions lacking any anti-air capability, or rocket infantry support. Alternatively: by utilizing their high mobility - they can be effectively used as a lethal harvester-hunter. A small group of just two Orcas can maneuver around enemy forces undetected, and into hostile harvester lines—bearing enough firepower, speed and utility to detect any harvesters (stealthed or not), take out one and heavily damage another (in short order) - and still be able to retreat and re-arm fast enough to leave most enemies reeling, incapable of retaliating, and vulnerable to yet another attack run.

For all its firepower and speed, a notable downside to the Orca however, is its poor resilience. Against any enemy ground force with relatively decent anti-air capability, Orcas are likely to cause but a fraction of their full damage potential—as they would likely be destroyed, or called back to the Airfield before they are able to expend their entire load. This epitomizes their role as harassment or support assault craft: using their high firepower on exposed targets and critical opportunities, whenever they present themselves.

Development
The Orca Gunship went through many iterations during development (some can be seen below). When the final look was nailed down, the developers had to decide on what weapons should it use. Early versions included a machinegun and rockets, but before release, the machinegun was axed.

The Orca was featured in the E3 C&C3 Trailer alongside other weapons in the GDI arsenal, including the iconic Mammoth 27 tank. It was different in that it had only a single crewman inside and had the aforementioned machine gun.

The final model was created by Chance Rowe.

Changelog

 * Tiberium Wars patch 1.05:
 * hit points increased by 50%
 * added ammunition counters to the portrait
 * added ambient reload sound effects
 * Kane's Wrath patch 1.02: attack duration increased by 50% per shot

When created

 * Orca ready, sir!
 * Orca, ready for liftoff!
 * Orca, cleared for takeoff!

When selected

 * Orca unit!
 * Channels open!
 * Systems on!
 * Orca pilot!
 * Pilot responding!
 * Command?
 * Orca here!
 * Orca standing by!
 * Yes, sir, ready for orders!

When moving

 * Copy!
 * Confirmed!
 * On our way!
 * Yes, sir!
 * Stabilizers engaged!
 * Nice and easy!
 * Got it!
 * Airways clear!
 * Orca in flight!
 * All systems go!
 * Affirmative!
 * Copy that, Orca is on the way!

When ordered to attack

 * Approaching target!
 * Closing in!
 * Engage!
 * Moving in on the target!
 * Moving in!

When attacking

 * Attack is a go!
 * Take it out!
 * Commencing attack!
 * Target acquired.
 * Release the rockets!

In combat

 * Weapons on!
 * Enemy engaged!
 * Reload, reload!
 * Firing rockets now, sir!
 * Keep 'em coming!
 * That's right, we got 'em!

When ordered to scan

 * Scanning!
 * Scanning for enemies, sir!
 * Scanners enabled!

When ordered to release a sensor pod

 * Targeting from sensor pod!
 * Sensor targeting confirmed!
 * Copy, target confirmed!

When returning to base

 * Returning to launch zone!
 * Returning to base!
 * Return for supplies!

When retreating

 * Pull away!
 * Return to base! Return to base!

When crashing

 * We're losing control!
 * Orca, going down!
 * We're losing altitude!

Trivia

 * It is shown equipped with the same chain gun as the AH-64 Apache, though it is unusable in-game.
 * Even though it is referred to as "Orca Mk. IV" in the Intelligence Database, the Mk. IV designation was later given to a failed attempt to improve on its design in the backstory of Tiberian Twilight.