Bull's Eye Squadron

Bull's Eye Squadron was a Galactic Republic clone starfighter squadron that was active during the Clone Wars, and typically flew customized ARC-170 starfighters on special ops missions.

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. Bull's Eye 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, Bull's Eye Squadron itself flew ARC-170 starfighters with red "tiger-stripe" wing designs and nose art. Aside from the color, this decorative style was the same design found on the vessels of their Razor Squadron counterparts. Presumably, like Razor Squadron, pilots of Bull's Eye Squadron wore helmets with the same striping found on their ships to designate their squad affiliation. Bull's Eye Squadron Clone Troopers would also be fitted with armor bearing the same red 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 Captain Davijaan's Squad Seven. An elite infiltration strike and recon force, Bull's Eye Squadron focused more on strengthening defenses while striving for greater target accuracy and precision. They balanced out these tactics by customizing their ships to provide more power to shields than to weapons. Another ARC Elite Squad, Razor Squadron, bore the same style squadron art (with the exception of it being blue instead of red) and used ARC-170 starfighters that were modified to provide more power to weapons due to the fact that their surgical strike/recon missions often involved taking on large military targets and facilities behind the front lines.

Behind the Scenes
This Clone Wars version of the Bull's Eye Squadron ARC-170 is based on a red variant of the appearance of the Republic ARC Gunships 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 PocketModel TCG sold at Target) featured a coupon offering a Bull's Eye Squadron game piece. This is the first mention of the Squad name, and is likely based on Target's store emblem - a red on white target.

Appearances

 * 2007 ''Star Wars PocketModel TCG: Base Set Target Promotion (first appearance)