Offshore Recovery Capsule Assembly (ORCA) is a helicopter-deployable life raft system built for cold water survival and emergency response in the world’s harshest maritime environments. Designed for the MH-60R and compatible with other H-60 aircraft, ORCA delivers reliable deployment at sea with or without pilot intervention. Built for real-world use, it performs in rough seas, high winds, and freezing temperatures.
With an internal six-person cold-weather life raft and survival kit, ORCA provides critical flotation and signaling capability during aircraft ditching scenarios. The sealed pod floats before and after deployment, and the raft can be accessed manually through large, glove-compatible release handles. Automatic LED strobes activate upon deployment and are visible for over three miles for up to 12 hours.
Qualified for Operations. Built for the Elements
ORCA was developed through a rigorous aerospace program in partnership with Sikorsky and is currently available as an option for international MH-60R fleets. The system is engineered to be jettisoned from altitudes up to 50 feet at forward speeds of up to 60 knots, automatically deploying and surfacing for access by survivors.
Its ruggedized construction supports long-term exposure and cold-weather durability, with all components designed for use by operators in full survival suits and limited dexterity conditions.
