Razor Squadron

Razor Squadron was one of the Elite Galactic Republic squadrons that was active during the Clone Wars.

History
A small number of the Republic Starfleet's starfighters were crewed by squads of elite clones, commissioned to go deep into enemy territory on the most dangerous scouting missions and raids. Razor Squadron itself was an Aggressive ReConnaissance Elite Squadron which included specially trained attack and recon vessel clone pilots, a crew of equally skilled clone troopers, and an on-board specialized astromech droid to handle in-flight operations. These squads underwent advanced "aggressive reconnaissance" training, as taught by Advanced Recon Commandos, to equip them with the skills necessary to survive the varied and treacherous mission profiles to which they were assigned. Elite Squads served with distinction during the Outer Rim Sieges, providing crucial intelligence and support during campaigns on major Separatist homeworlds.

During the later stages of the conflict, Razor Squadron, itself, flew ARC-170 starfighters with blue "tiger-stripe" wing designs and nose art. This decorative style was similar in appearance to the designs on their LAAT/i counterparts during the mission led by Commander Fordo to extract Jedi from the planet Hypori early on during the Clone Wars, and may indicate that Razor Squadron had its roots in that task force. Pilots of Razor Squadron wore helmets with the same striping found on their ships to designate their squad affiliation. Razor Squadron Clone Troopers were also fitted with armor bearing the same blue striping, and helmets with the same style eye-spots that were painted on the nose of their craft.

The pilots tended to fly their craft more aggressively than their standard clone counterparts in Red Squadron, Blue Squadron, and even Commander Cody's Squad Seven. An elite surgical strike and recon force, Razor Squadron focused was more on greater target acquisition and less on strengthening defensive systems. Similarly, their ships were configured to provide more power to their weapons. Another ARC Elite Squad, Bull's Eye Squadron, bore the same style squadron art (with the exception of it being red instead of blue) and used ARC-170 starfighters that were modified to provide more power to shields due to the fact that their infiltration/recon missions often lead them deeper into enemy territory.

Appearances

 * 2005 Hasbro's Titanium Series ARC-170 Starfighter 3" vehicle (first appearance)
 * 2006 Hasbro's Transformers Series ARC-170/Clone Pilot Robot
 * 2007 Star Wars PocketModel TCG Razor Squadron ARC-170 Starfighter (first mention of Squad's name)
 * 2007 Hasbro's ARC-170 Starfighter scaled to 3-3/4" Star Wars action figures
 * 2008 Hasbro's 3-3/4" ARC-170 Elite Squad Battle Pack

Points of Interest

 * Hasbro produced a Clone Wars edition of the ARC-170 Starfighter as a gunship toy and ARC-170 Elite Squad figures (two pilots, two troopers, and an astromech droid in one box called a Battle Pack) for the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars.


 * The Clone War version of the ARC-170 Starfighter and the ARC-170 Elite Squad are based on the appearance of the Republic ARC Gunship from episode 21 of the Clone Wars animated series that aired on Cartoon Network.


 * The WizKids' Imperial PowerUp Pack (a starter set for the Star Wars Pocketmodels TCG game sold at WalMart and Meijer) featured a coupon offering a Razor Squadron game piece. This is the first mention of the Squad name, and is likely based on WalMart's store mascot - a yellow smiley dress as Zorro who slashes prices.