Category:A-Squad Rangers

The A-Squad Rangers are the first team of SPD Rangers. As such, they are known to the best-of-the-best of the academy. However, they went M.I.A. after they were sent off on a mission, thus leaving the protection of Earth to the B-Squad.

History
The A-Squad were the elite Ranger team of Space Patrol Delta and the main defenders of Earth. During their early appearances in the series, they only appeared morphed and were sent out to face the newest threat to the planet's safety. However, the A-Squad were actually corrupted; at first, Bridge had sensed "something off" with their aura, but didn't get the chance to find out what. In the episode "Confronted", the A-Squad is sent to the to defend it from Emperor Gruumm. However, this was a trap and all contact with them was lost after it was made clear that they were being overwhelmed. They were considered "".

Unknown to the Rangers, the A-Squad survived and defected to Gruumm's side, wanting to be on "the winning team" (as stated in "Endings"). They bided their time, destroying S.P.D. Gamma 4 base for unknown reasons which gave Kat and Cruger some suspicions of who the attackers were after an interrupted distress call made by an S.P.D. personnel had startled them (confirmed at conventions and in interviews by the show's producers), before finally fake a crash-land on Gamma-Orion and sending an SOS signal to have the B-Squad 'find' them alive. The B-Squad soon became frustrated when Cruger abruptly dismissed them to debrief the A-Squad and they realized that they were once again "the reserves, zord cleanup detail," as Jack Landors put it. After a year of being Earth's main line of defense, they were being pushed aside.

However, the A-Squad revealed their true allegiance and kidnapped Commander Cruger, bringing him to Gruumm's spacecraft. Following this treachery, the B-Squad battled with the A-Squad. Despite the A-Squad initially having the upper hand in combat, the B-Squad managed to beat them with a combination of smarter battle tactics and their S.W.A.T. Mode. Escalating the battle, the A-Squad proceeded to unleash their own Megazord, which transformed from Broodwing's drilling vehicle. Another battle ensued, but when the Delta Base was taken by Broodwing's forces and transformed into the Delta Command Megazord to destroy Newtech City, the Omegamax Megazord was disabled and the Delta Squad Megazord was destroyed. After the B-Squad recovered, they retrieved the S.W.A.T. flyers from the secret underground zord bay, which only Bridge had known about, and use them to form the S.W.A.T. Megazord to destroy the A-Squad's Megazord, finally defeating them.

The A-Squad was found guilty of treason and they were imprisoned by the B-Squad without a further fight. As a consequence of their previous corruption, and at the request of B-Squad (who felt that they were B-Squad rather than A-Squad), the A-Squad "ranking" was disbanded.

In the pages of, the A-Squad make an appearance in the S.P.D. comic strip, in the two-part "finale" of the strip "Invasion". Here, they are brainwashed by Gruumm as opposed to corrupted and turn on the S.P.D. defense armada orbiting Earth. They are arrested by the B-Squad with the charges of treason and are never seen again. Their ranking is given to B-Squad for defeating Gruumm and Omni, however, they turn it down and remain the B-Squad instead.

Powers
The full capabilities of the A-Squad are unknown, but they do have the ability to morph instantly without using any Morpher, and their Ranger suits are heavily armored, giving greater endurance. Their primary weapons are large laser blasters, but they do not appear to have anything beyond that. Aside from the Delta Runners, they were shown piloting a megazord that could transform into a drilling vehicle. It is presumed to be of S.P.D. origin, due to its cockpit design with various S.P.D. decals; however, its outward appearance, when compared to all of S.P.D. zords, suggests it may have been modified heavily.

In terms of fighting ability, they are said to be "the best of the best", able to take down their counterparts easily, focusing on heavy firepower of their weapons; however, once the B-Squad used S.W.A.T. Mode and had equal armor and weaponry to the A-Squad, they were able to defeat them easily. It has been speculated that the A-Squad underestimated the B-Squad's skills and they were caught off-guard.

Suits
The A-Squad suits were together from various sources, most recognizably the re-molded helmets from Power Rangers in Space. The updated helmets featured silver around the visors with an S.P.D. logo above the visor and silver vents adorning the top and sides of the helmet. The Black Space Ranger's helmet was repainted green for this series. The actual suit also appears to be color matched motocross padding with black spandex, the same or similar armor being sourced from Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. The lasers appear to be modified airsoft or paintball guns.

There is also a slight similarity between the black suits of A-Squad and S.W.A.T. Mode, as both are heavily armored that gives the Rangers with large and powerful laser blasters.