Spearhead Squadron

The Eastern Front's First Ward's First Defensive Squadron "Spearhead" (東部戦線第一戦区第一防衛戦隊“スピアヘッド”,), or Spearhead Squadron (スピアヘッド戦隊,) for short, is a Processor squadron credited as the most elite unit on the Republic's Eastern Front. In reality, however, it was a suicide squadron designed to purge its members, who were approaching the end of their military service terms.

The squadron's surviving members were later integrated into the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package as the 1st Armored Group's Headquarters Assigned Squadron "Spearhead" (本部付戦隊“スピアヘッド”,).

Chronology
Spearhead Squadron is a multi-generational unit of Processors from all over the Eastern Front who managed to survive until near the end of their service. Because of the skills the members acquired at this time, they are generally regarded as the Republic's most elite unit in the East, matching Sledgehammer Squadron in the North, Razor Edge Squadron in the South, and Longbow Squadron in the West.

However, this was only the squadron's public image. In reality, it was founded as part of the Republic's secret initiative to purge the Eighty-Six. While promising to reinstate their citizenships once their terms came to an end, the Republic's leadership had no intention of actually letting them reach their deadlines, both due to their prejudices and to erase evidence of their human-rights violations. To this end, as their service went on, they would re-assign them to units with higher casualty rates. Spearhead Squadron was the final link in this chain: a suicide squad designed to purge its members. If all else failed, the surviving members would simply be sent on a one-way mission into Legion territory one month before the end of the unit's operation time.

Shin's Generation
Many members of this generation of Spearhead Squadron had already known each other before its formation in April of RY 367, led by Captain Shinei Nouzen and First Lieutenant Raiden Shuga.
 * Shin and Raiden were the first of the core squadron, having fought together since RY 364.
 * Kurena and Theo joined them in RY 365.
 * Anju and Daiya have been together since their enlistment and join Shin's squadron sometime after Kurena and Theo.
 * Shin, Raiden, Kurena, Theo, Daiya, and Anju entered Spearhead from Claymore Squadron.
 * Kaie and Haruto entered Spearhead from Luscinia Squadron.
 * Kino entered Spearhead from Scale Squadron.

Due to the members all having loved ones never return from their service, they were all fully aware of Spearhead Squadron's true purpose. Regardless, since they would die anyway, they all opted to rather do so fighting the Legion than try to take pointless revenge on the Republic. Despite the constant suicide missions they were send on, the unit had a surprisingly high survival rate due to the skills of its members. They also inherited a tradition from Claymore Squadron where if one of them were to die, since Processors do not receive a burial, the squad captain—Shin—would take a piece of their Juggernaut and keep it; a custom that members from other squadrons readily accepted.

Through Shin's ESP ability to "hear the voices of the dead", the squadron learned that the Legion had become capable of self-replication; by harvesting the brains of deceased Processors, they were able to create new AIs and models, which they would nickname Black Sheep and Shepherds. This meant that they would be able to continue functioning past their six-year expiration date, which the Republic had bet their entire strategy on reaching. For the squadron, though, they were able to effectively identify and eliminate these new models by linking all members to Shin's ability through the Para-RAID. However, this process was severely traumatizing for their Handlers, which the members did not care for since they never had a good relationship with any of them. As a result, the squadron became infamously known as the "Reaper's Unit".

The squadron's string of bad relationships with their Handlers finally came to an end with their last one, Major Vladilena Milizé, whom they opened up to over time. As the unit's operation time came to a close, the Republic intensified their missions to purge the remaining members, slowly dwindling them down before sending the squadron's five surviving members on the dreaded special reconnaissance mission. However, before reaching the border, they took a detour by first engaging the Dinosauria containing the vestiges of Shin's older brother—Shourei—and miraculously obtained victory with zero casualties, partly thanks to Lena using an unauthorized artillery strike to destroy a large portion of the Eastern Front's Legion. Afterward, the squadron said their goodbyes to their Handler before cutting contact and moving on, much to her protest.

Upon reaching the border, the five survivors enshrined four of their Juggernauts, which had been damaged beyond repair along their journey, alongside Fido and Shin's 576 Juggernaut fragments before continuing eastward by taking turns piloting their one remaining Juggernaut. The group ended up surviving a whole month in occupied territory before they were finally about to be overwhelmed during a battle with the Legion. However, they were rescued by an unlikely savior: Shourei, who had survived their battle by transferring his consciousness into to a backup unit. He then carried their unconscious bodies out of Legion territory. Shortly afterward, the survivors were found by military forces belonging to the Federal Republic of Giad and given asylum, whilst Rei was destroyed by them.

Rito's Generation
With Shin's generation seemingly entirely wiped out, the squadron received new members gathered from the Eastern Front, while Lena was demoted and transferred to command the Brísingamen Squadron led by Captain Shiden Iida and First Lieutenant Shana. This new generation of Spearhead was led by Captain Rito Oriya and First Lieutenant Irina Misa.

Following the Fall of Gran Mur and the occupation by the Federacy, the surviving Processors of Spearhead and other squadrons would join the Federacy's military and attend their mandatory education in officer academies.

Strike Package
The Spearhead Squadron would be reformed inside the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package, with its known members being the five survivors, Dustin Jaeger, and many other Processors. Rito and his squadron would take up the name of their previous squadron: Claymore.

Ranks
Ranks within the Eighty-Sixth Sector are fluid, many are promoted and demoted without ceremony to suit the chain of command necessary. Unlike the soldiers within the Eighty-Five Sectors, their rank does not correspond to their pay grade.
 * Captain = Captain
 * Vice Captain = First Lieutenant
 * Platoon Leader = Second Lieutenant
 * Platoon Member = Ensign

Shin's Generation
[Roster of May 22nd RY 367]
 * [ Handler] Major Vladilena Milizé - Lena is their newest handler and the first to try to understand them. She is their strategic commander who is responsible for providing information of enemy movements using surveillance radars and equipment which can only be accessed by handlers. Although handlers are given the authority to provide and direct battalion grade fire support such as long range artilleries, most of these assets are not operational due the operating personnel refusing to provide support for the Eighty-Six.
 * [First Platoon] Role: Vanguard, responsible for close-quarters engagements.
 * [Captain] Shinei Nouzen (Undertaker) - Shin is the captain of the squadron. He is responsible for directing the whole squadron in battles. His comrades rely upon him for tactics, decision making, and the detection of Legion units. On the field, Shin is one of the most aggressive attackers due to his skill in commandeering his Juggernaut. Shin's priority targets are the Löwe and Dinosauria, as his high mobility fighting abilities make him the most suitable combatant to dispatch them.
 * Haruto Keats (Falke) - Haruto is the morale booster of the squadron, often times cheerful and joking.
 * Louie Kino (Fafnir)
 * Touma Sauvy (Helianthus)
 * [Second Platoon] Role: Fire Support
 * [Vice Captain] Raiden Shuga (Wehrwolf) - Raiden is the vice captain of the squadron. While Shin leads the squadron tactically, Raiden leads emotionally as the big brother of the squadron. Raiden and his platoon are positioned in the middle-guard.
 * Mashu Nanaki (Walpurgis)
 * Chise Authen (Griffin)
 * Kuroto Hinie (Manticore)
 * [Third Platoon] Role: Vanguard, responsible for close-quarters engagements.
 * Theoto Rikka (Laughing Fox) - Theo is the leader of the third platoon. At face value he can be classified as a standard infantryman, but his forte in grappling hooks allows him to use three-dimensional space to his advantage.
 * Mina Shiroka (Artemis)
 * Hariz Senya (Cato'Nine)
 * Myna Yatomika (March Hare)
 * [Fourth Platoon] Role: Fire Support
 * Kaie Taniya (Kirschblüte) - Kaie is the leader of the fourth platoon. They serve as providers of suppressive fire for the vanguard.
 * Kujo Nico (Sirius)
 * Mikuri Cairo (Leukosia)
 * Tohzan Sasha (Gunmetalstorm)
 * [Fifth Platoon] Role: Rocket Artillery/Grenadier, responsible for long range indirect fire support.
 * Daiya Irma (Black Dog) - Daiya is the leader of the fifth platoon. As a grenadier, his role to provide crowd control.
 * Anju Emma (Snow Witch) - Anju also specializes in crowd control using explosive munitions.
 * Kariya Rohga (La Bete)
 * Shuri Gilith (Dendroaspis)
 * [Sixth Platoon] Role: Artillery/TD Tank Destroyer/Sniper, responsible for long range direct fire support.
 * Kurena Kukumila (Gunslinger) - Kurena is the leader of the sixth platoon. Her accuracy as a sniper is what had earned her the personal name "Gunslinger".
 * Lecca Lin (Burnt Tayl)
 * Ochi Anton (Gladiator)
 * Io Dodanthe (Argos)
 * [Support]
 * Lev Aldrecht - Lev is in charge of Juggernaut maintenance. He is the closest thing the squadron has to a father figure.
 * Fido - Rescued by Shin as the only surviving scavenger drone in a battle, Fido is responsible for: scavenging materials including food and reusable products from the city ruins, scavenging parts from destroyed friendly vehicles, and supplying friendly units with ammunition and fuel during battle.
 * TP - TP is a stray cat adopted by Daiya that became the squadron's pet. The cat was called many different names by different people in the squadron before settling on TP. Although it is adopted by Daiya, its favorite person is Shin as it can sleep on him while he is reading.

Rito's Generation

 * [Handler] - Since Lena was demoted for launching an unauthorized artillery strike to save the survivors of Shin's generation, a new handler took over.
 * [Captain] Rito Oriya - The captain of this generation. He was previously a member of Claymore Squadron. As such, he was acquainted with their former members such as Shin, Raiden, Theo, Kurena, Anju, and Daiya.
 * [Vice Captain] Irina Misa - Rito's right hand, she also previously served in Claymore Squadron. Shin described her as docile and reserved. She was killed in action during the Dragon Fang Mountain Operation.
 * [Support]
 * Lev Aldrecht - When the Legion reached the Spearhead Squadron's base during the Fall of the Gran Mur, he valiantly defended it alongside other mechanics with a hidden supply of rocket launchers and rifles.

Strike Package
Main Article: Eighty-Sixth Strike Package

Deceased

 * Mashu Nanaki - Triage Black Tag
 * Mina Shiroka - Triage Black Tag
 * Kujo Nico - Episode 1
 * Kaie Taniya - Episode 3
 * Kariya Rohga - Between Episode 5 and Episode 6
 * Ochi Anton - Between Episode 5 and Episode 6
 * Daiya Irma - Episode 6
 * Lecca Lin - Episode 6
 * Mikuri Cairo - Episode 7
 * Myna Yatomika - Episode 7
 * Shuri Gilith- Episode 7
 * Louie Kino - Episode 7
 * Chise Authen - Episode 7
 * Touma Sauvy - Episode 7
 * Kuroto Hinie - Episode 7
 * Hariz Senya - Episode 8
 * Io Dodanthe - Episode 8
 * Tohzan Sasha - Episode 8
 * Haruto Keats - Episode 8