space deployed helicopters

In an attempt to make helicopter support more immediate, designers in the UCA's R&D division came up with an idea that, on paper, sounds stupid: deploying helicopters from space. To deploy helicopters from space, a new vessel was created; the Assault Carrier. Equipped with 300 launch tubes for SSDVs (Single Soldier Delivery Vehicles), and 50 tubes for SAH-1 helicopters.

To deploy these helicopters, they are wrapped in a heat shield, sized to fit the launch tube. They drop from orbit and reenter, using the heat shield to protect the vehicle from the atmospheric friction.

After reaching about 50,000 feet, solid fuel rockets fire, slowing the pod down to approximately 150 knots vertical speed. A parachute deploys, yanking the helicopter out of the heat shield and slowing the vehicle down to 50 knots. The helicopter's blades unfold now, and the helicopter rightens, and flies normally from then on.

To operate on planetary bodies with thinner atmosphere, the helicopters can specially be fitted with lengthened rotor blades with variable camber to fly in the thinner air.