Escadron de Chasse 1/4 Gascogne

Escadron de Chasse 1/4 Gascogne is a squadron of the French Air and Space Force. It houses the Dassault Rafale and was the second unit of the French Air and Space Force to receive the aircraft.



3rd Reconstitution and nuclear era


On May 10, 1966, a Mirage IVA n°36 of the squadron conducted the first transatlantic flight with a combat aircraft at French reaction under the command of Commandant Dubroca and Captain Caubert in 7 hours and 40 minutes, in which three air supply aircraft reached Boston.

End of the Mirage IV
On June 23, 2005, Mirage IV P n°59 conducted the last flight of Mirage IV of the squadron and the French Air Force, at the command of a commandant, operations chief of Gascogne. This equipment is displayed today on an aerial base.

The Escadron de chasse 1/91 Gascogne was credited with dropping 120 bombs and conducted 368 missions in Libya during Opération Harmattan.

Rafale
The squadron was reformed on March 31, 2009, and equipped with Rafale, the unit integrated the Strategic Air Forces. From August 31, 2015, to September 18, 2015, 15 Rafale of the Escadron de chasse 1/7 Provence, Escadron de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen, and the 1/91 Gascogne were deployed to conduct an air-to-air campaign.

Operation Harmattan, then Unified Protector (2011)

 * EC 1/91 Gascogne obtained a cross a citation at the orders of the Aerial Army.

Designations

 * Groupe de Bombardement II/19: April 1, 1937 - September 1, 1940, (GB II/19)
 * Groupe de Bombardement Léger I/19: September 1, 1940 - February 21, 1944, (GBL I/19)
 * Groupe de Bombardement Moyen I/19: February 21, 1944 - April 1946, (GBM I/19)
 * Groupe de Bombardement I/19 Gascogne: January 1951 - November 1, 1955, (GB I/19 Gascogne)
 * Groupe de Bombardement 1/91 Gascogne: September 1, 1956 - September 17, 1962, (GB 1/19 Gascogne)
 * Escadron de Bombardement 1/91 Gascogne: June 1, 1964 - July 1, 1996, (EB 1/91 Gascogne)
 * Escadron de Reconnaissance Stratégique 1/91 Gascogne: July 1, 1996 - June 23, 2005, (ERS 1/91 Gascogne)
 * Escadron de Chasse 1/91 Gascogne: March 31, 2009 - September 1, 2016, (EC 1/91 Gascogne)
 * Escadron de Chasse 1/4 Gascogne: since September 1, 2016 (EC 1/4 Gascogne)

Equipment

 * Martin B-26 Marauder (1944-1946)
 * Douglas A-26 Invader (1951-1962)
 * Dassault Mirage IVA then IVP (1964-2005)
 * Dassault Rafale (since 2009)