(last updated: 12/28/17)The Ikari Warriors are an oddity. On one hand, they're a military-styled mercenary unit; soldiers of fortune. On the other, they have a strong moral tone which dictates what sort of missions they may be hired for. While this has made them many enemies in the criminal underworld, it has also made them quite trusted (or at least tolerated) by many governments of the world, and this trust can't be completely eliminated even by the political manipulations of Shadaloo or the Syndicate. While often strict, the Ikari Warriors are viewed by most as a symbol of 'might for right' in today's world.
The Ikaris have existed for several decades, and succeeded at nearly every mission they undertook. It was only in 1994 that they were dealt their first major loss, fighting against "R." Several troops in the Ikaris were slaughtered due to an ambush, and even their commanding officer was slain. Heidern took over and managed to rebuild the unit in just a few short months, recruiting Clark and Ralf as well as a host of other soldiers. Clark and Ralf proved to be excellent recruits, soaring through the ranks and saving the President of America towards the end of the year from a group of "terrorist ninjas."
While they've been mostly rebuilt, in some ways the Ikari Warriors, and especially their new leader, are recovering from that battle in 1994. They're close to, but not quite at, their old combat strength. While they have enough money to get by, there are occasional times where their budget gets very tight, a consequence of having to nearly rebuild the unit all over again.
But now more than ever, the Ikari Warriors work to oppose groups like Shadaloo. Nonetheless, their main target is "R", and they'll often launch missions against R without being hired by someone else.
The Ikari Warriors are a tightly knit group. There is strict discipline at most times, but also incredibly friendly moments where Ikaris seem more like family than fellow soldiers. The group tends to hire ex-soldiers in small batches every so often, though a few of their officers sometimes recommend suitable non-military candidates to Heidern, and he may invite these people into the group.