Orca

The Orca Dropship (not to be confused with the Kass'l-class Gunship, which also carries the codename "Orca") is a dedicated transport vehicle for ferrying troops and materiel to and from a planet's surface. Unlike the Thunderhawk and Manta, however, the Orca Dropship is not intended for front-line combat, and carries only minimal armor and weapons and instead relies on being escorted by Barracuda fighters.

Thanks to the Tau's anti-gravity technology and the power of four ramjet engines, the Orca Dropship is very fast and maneuverable, allowing it to carry its cargo to its destination quickly. The Orca Dropship's large hold makes that cargo quite large, with the craft able to carry up to 48 Fire Warriors and their equipment. Just two or three Orcas can carry an entire Hunter Cadre's worth of soldiers and equipment to a planet's surface.

The Taros Campaign
On Taros, Orcas were critical to the Tau strategy, dropping Pathfinders and Stealthsuit teams behind Imperial lines and moving troops and supplies to combat zones across the planet. It is estimated that more than 200 Orca Dropships were active at the peak of the fighting on Taros.