Swoops and speeder bikes might be fun to watch, but nothing quite beats out the sight of starfighters in tight formation roaring by overhead!
—A holojournalist describes the Red Gundarks in action
The Red Gundarks flight demonstration team was a unit of elite starfighter pilots formed from the Republic Marines who engaged in performances at airshows across the Galactic Republic. Specializing in precision formation flying and aerobatics, the three six-pilot teams toured the galaxy, exhibiting the Marines' prowess in atmospheric flight in highly-choreographed routines that were executed with highly-demanding skill and precision.
History[]
Starfighters flashing to and fro in the heat of battle can be a wondrous sight—if you're not being shot at yourself, that is. I wanted to give the citizenry the chance to see what the Republic's pilots could really do, live and in person, without the dangers.
—Captain Caescar Piccolé, to a holojournalist, upon his retirement
In the wake of the re-emerging of the Galactic Republic as the dominant government in the galaxy in the aftermath of the Jedi Civil War, the role of the Republic Marines in demonstrating the continued mission of the military was expanded. In 3,949 BBY, Captain Caescar Piccolé, who had flown a Chela-class starfighter with the 11th Marine Starfighter Squadron at the Battle of Rakata Prime, began evaluating the pilots of the 4th Aerospace Wing, which he commanded, for their proficiency in aerospace flight maneuvering. After finding a half-dozen suitable candidates, he began to train them in precision formation flying, something which he himself had shown an aptitude for. After eight weeks of extensive drills, Captain Piccolé sought permission from the Commandant of the Marines to form what he called "The Red Gundarks," naming them for the notoriously dangerous species.
Variation of wings worn by Red Gundarks pilots and support personnel.
Impressed with the skills demonstrated in a show put on for graduating cadets at the Corulag branch of the Marine Corps Academy, the Commandant approved the idea of implementing the team as part of the Republic Military's public-relations campaigns. The six pilots of the initial roster were split into pairs, in order to form the nuclei for two additional teams. After acquiring more members from across the starfighter arm of the Corps, the three Red Gundark flight teams began touring various worlds throughout the Republic the next year. Each of the three teams covered roughly a third of the civilized galaxy, with their areas of coverage shifting every couple of years as the pilots were rotated back into their units and new ones were brought in to replace them. These tours continued throughout the history of the Marine Corps, ceasing only during times of pan-galactic crisis. Occasionally, however, a performance could be delayed or moved due to the outbreak of localized hostilities.
Behind the scenes[]
The concept for the Red Gundarks flight demonstration team was based heavily on the Blue Angels, the aerobatic team formed from and operated by the United States Navy, which also contains pilots from the United States Marine Corps.