77th Combat Aviation Training Squadron

The 77th Combat Aviation Training Squadron (77 CATS, 77 HRKS) is a squadron in the Republic of Granzery Air Force under the claimancy of the Air Training Group. The Squadron currently is primarily used as an international aggressor squadron, but is also used for testing and evaluation of foreign aircraft. The primary aircraft of the 77th Squadron is the Vazandian KmFzG-7 Boxfalke, although historically the squadron has also operated VeK-20, V-4 and MiG-23 aircraft. The 77th Squadron has also historically been one of the first squadrons to receive updated equipment such as missiles and avionics upgrades. The current inventory of the Squadron includes 12 Boxfalke aircraft, 2 Vertega V-10 aircraft, 4 Sovany I-9 training aircraft and 1 Stasnovan Lu-27.

Despite being primarily for testing, the 77th Squadron retains a stockpile of live fire ammunition in the event that it is required to serve in a combat role against foreign adversaries.

History
The 77th Combat Aviation Training Squadron was initially formed in 1966 by the Granzerian People's Air Force, due to the similarities between the Vertega V-4 and contemporary western designs. The squadron flew regular sorties training Vastava Pact pilots against unfamiliar aircraft. After the Granzerian War its complement of V-4 aircraft were put into combat duty, while the squadron adopted the VeK-20 aircraft left behind by the communist government, which then helped in training future Granzerian pilots against Communist bloc aircraft. In 1977, the Squadron also visited Vazandia, providing Vazandian pilots a valuable opportunity to train against their main adversaries in the Stasnovan VeK-20 and Gorbatovic MiG-21.

Since 2015 the 77th Combat Aviation Training Squadrons primary goal has been training VSO pilots against Vazandian aircraft such as the KmFzG-7 Boxfalke. Since the collapse of the VSO, the 77th Squadron's future has been thrust into uncertainty. Granzerian observer status in the EDEN entente and Vastava Pact has caused some within the Air Force to suggest flying the squadron against VP and EDEN aircraft, both to provide the Granzerian air force with valuable intelligence about the capability of EDEN and VP pilots and provide VP and EDEN pilots with the opportunity to fly against Vazandian, VSO and KP aircraft such as the Boxfalke and V-10 Cyclone.

Aircraft Acquisitions
Over the course of history the Granzerian 77th Squadron has received a variety of foreign aircraft for evaluation, testing and training. The most well known of these being the twenty-four KmFzG-7 Boxfalkes, received in the 1980s from Vazandia and kept in excellent condition by the Squadron and their liaisons in the Vertega Corporation. During the 1990s, the Squadron loaned four of its Boxfalke aircraft to the Imperial Elesarian Armed Forces in exchange for four of its newly developed Sava Shulika aircraft, this gave the Granzerian Air force its first real experience with a delta-canard configuration aircraft.