Razgriz Squadron

"They're not the Razgriz...are they?"

― A Yuktobanian Air Force pilot during Operation Glory Horn

The Razgriz Air Command Squadron was the alias adopted by the survivors of the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Wardog" in the late stages of the Circum-Pacific War.

History

Their flight operations were held on the aircraft carrier OFS Kestrel, flagship of the 3rd Osean Naval Fleet, as well as the air base at Kirwin Island, where the fleet was docked. Their intelligence ship OFS Andromeda intercepted multiple transmissions in Belkan which hinted at the President’s location. After the rescue operation was successful, the President ordered the Razgriz to uncover what Belka was planning in Osea.

Blaze was then sent out on a reconnaissance mission into Belka and found that the Belkans were attempting to unleash the nuclear weapons they had used in the war 15 years ago. He was sighted, and during his escape, Blaze was engaged by members of the Ofnir and Grabacr Squadrons, which were carrying both Yuktobanian and Osean Air Force emblems. He managed to escape and returned a day later with the rest of the Razgriz Squadron to destroy the mine entrance, sealing the weapons inside. However, by that time it was too late. Three nuclear weapons had been smuggled out of the country and the hunt to find them had begun.

One nuclear weapon’s location was found, once again thanks to the Andromeda. It was captured and being dismantled by Yuktobanian resistance members, deep within Yuktobania's air defense system. The only way to support them was to operate in a canyon under the air defense system. The Razgriz deployed, despite the conditions, they succeeded in halting the Yuktobanian Army's Varyag Special Forces teams from finding the resistance as they were dismantling the warhead. However, the Belkan 2nd Aggressor Squadron known as Ofnir appeared on site, posing as a Yuktobanian squadron. The Razgriz engaged them within the canyon and managed to destroy them all before leaving the combat area. They then escorted the resistance's submarine out of the area to scatter the weapon's pieces without any further engagements.

The second nuclear weapon’s location was later determined by the Andromeda to be aboard the sabotaged Arkbird. However, the Arkbird had been repaired by Belkan operatives and was fully operational. Subsequently, President Harling gave the Razgriz orders to shoot down the Arkbird. During a change to the Arkbird's orbit made on December 19, 2010, an Osean astronaut managed to escape the Arkbird and redirect it into the atmosphere. The Arkbird dove deep into the Earth’s atmosphere and was engaged by the Razgriz Squadron. After destroying the Arkbird’s main and auxiliary engines, multiple UCAVs, and fighting the Arkbird’s laser defenses, it was disabled and fell into the Ceres Ocean. Its last known transmission was by the name of a Belkan operative named Adler: “Damn you, Razgriz…”

Days later on the 22nd, a transmission on a secret channel transmitted to the Andromeda by Captain Jack Bartlett, who had escaped capture before he could be placed in a POW camp after being shot down in the beginning of the war, was leading a group of resistance members. They had managed to rescue Prime Minister Seryozha Viktorovich Nikanor and were attempting to storm an airfield in northeast Yuktobania in order to escape. The Razgriz supported the raid and successfully managed to infiltrate the airfield and get the Prime Minister onto an aircraft. As the aircraft took off and began to return to the Kestrel, the Grabacr Squadron appeared to shoot down the Prime Minister’s aircraft. After an intense aerial battle, the Grabacr were shot down and the Prime Minister, Bartlett, and the Major who broke Bartlett’s heart 15 years ago managed to return to the carrier. She had a disc of top secret information that began to be decrypted the day after their return to the "Kestrel."

The Kestrel Fleet then attempted to sail to Yuktobania in order to stop Yuktobanian aggressions, but they were stopped by a large Yuktobanian fleet. Despite multiple attempts to deter them, the OFS Kestrel battle group was attacked. The Razgriz were sent out to sink the opposing fleet and protect three Yuktobanian loyalist destroyers that had defected upon receiving orders to sink their Prime Minister. During the battle, a nationalist Osean battle group arrived on station, but launched an attack on both fleets already in battle. By the end of the conflict, both nationalist Yuktobanian and Osean battle groups were destroyed leaving only the OFS Kestrel and her support ships.

The Major’s disc was finally deciphered, but the Kestrel was soon hit by a missile strike from a nationalist Yuktobanian submarine and sank. However, the Razgriz managed to launch from the carrier as it was going under. They then flew to North Osea/South Belka where the Belkan operatives had taken refuge in the underground base of Grunder Industries. As the Razgriz Squadron neared the target, multiple Osean and Yuktobanian forces were convinced by a recent broadcast of President Harling and Prime Minister Nikanor to join forces and overthrow the deceiving Belkans. Included in this group was an supporting AWACS aircraft under the callsign "Oka Nieba," which translates to "Sky Eye".

During the battle, the combined force was also attacked by another combined Belkan, Osean and Yuktobanian force consisting of those who were still in favor of the war, which included most of Osea's and Yuktobania's forces. The objective was to open the mountain’s tunnel entrance, fly in, and destroy the main control panel for the V-1 and V-2 rocket systems. However, as the doors were nearly opened, the Belkans had managed to repair the SOLG orbital attack satellite. The attack satellite open fired on the special forces around the mountain. The doors were finally opened and the Razgriz flew into the tunnel, being pursued by Captain Hamilton, an Ex-Grabacr aggressor. The Razgriz managed to destroy a control station while Captain Bartlett flew in from the opposite direction and destroyed the second control station. This stopped the SOLG’s firing and disabled the rocket facilities. As the Razgriz escaped, the mountain base began sealing itself off. As they flew at top speed past the closing blast doors and other obstacles, they encountered enemy forces head on, including what appeared to be members of the Yellow Squadron. The Razgriz managed to escape before they were sealed inside, while Hamilton was killed by an enemy aircraft that struck him in a head on collision.

The war was officially over, but the Belkans had pre-programmed the SOLG to fall onto the Osean capital city of Oured if contact was ever lost from the ground. As the SOLG fell into the atmosphere, the Demons of Razgriz flew their last mission on December 31st, 2010. After launching from an Oured highway being used as a makeshift runway, the Razgriz headed for the SOLG’s dropping point. On their way they were confronted by

a double-Belkan formation consisting of the Ofnir and Grabacr squadrons. The ensuing battle concluded with the Razgriz shooting down the Ofnir and Grabacr before finally engaging the SOLG.

In the end, the SOLG was finally destroyed before reaching the city limits. After that battle The Demons of Razgriz disappeared and were never officially seen again. It wasn’t until the year 2020 that a conference revealed the truth behind the Circum-Pacific War. Together, Wardog and Razgriz flew 28 missions during the war, all which involved combat.

Trivia

The Razgriz Paint scheme also appears in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon when you will get the Wardog callsign.
The Razgriz's signature aircraft, an all-black F-14A Tomcat, is reminiscent of two real-world U.S Navy squadrons; VX-4 Evaluators and VX-9 Vampires, whom were known to fly F-14A Tomcats and F-14D Super Tomcats with all-black paint schemes, though these were test and evaluation squadrons, not active combat units.
The Razgriz paint scheme appears in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War as the "Soldier" paint scheme for the F-14D Super Tomcat (the F-14A is unavailable in ACZ), complete with the squadron's emblem, "KT" tail code, and even changing the aircraft number from Cipher's 032 to Blaze's 016.
The Razgriz scheme also appears in Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, for all fifteen planes by buying on Xbox live.
In Ace Combat 2 the Type-B paint scheme for the enemy F-14A Tomcat resembles the Razgriz paint scheme.
In Mission 17 (Knight Style) of Ace Combat Zero a Yuktobanian ace named Yakov Saifulli, callsign "Kon", appear flying an F-14D with colors of the Razgriz Squadron.
In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Eddy's alternate costume has the Razgriz patch on the back of his jacket.
Counting the number of aircraft that have appeared in every game with the Razgriz paint scheme, there are 57 planes with the colors of the Razgriz Squadron.