Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine

The Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine ("fighter Squadron 3/30 Lorraine") is a fighter Squadron of the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) located at BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan Air Base which flies the Dassault Rafale C.

History


This Escadron is heir to the Groupe de bombardement Lorraine.

On June 27, 1944, the Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine was designated again 3/33 "Lorraine".

On June 18, 1996, the Escadron 3/33 Lorraine was awarded the Fourragere at the colors of the Order of Liberation by the President of France Jacques Chirac.

The 3/33 Lorraine, placed in a dormant phase in August 2005, was reactivated under the designation of 3/30 "Lorraine" in October 2010 on Aerial Base 104 Al Dhafra (Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport) in the United Arab Emirates to fly the Rafale and the Mirage 2000-5, then only the Dassault Rafale from March 2011.

On December 15, 2015, a Rafale B dropped a SCALP missile for the first time during Opération Chammal over Iraq.

On June 24, 2016, the 3/30 Lorraine was integrated into the 30e Escadre de Chasse and replaced the 1/7 Provence on Saint-Dizier – Robinson Air Base. Only the traditions were transferred, not the personnel nor the aircraft. Accordingly, the aircraft were progressively repainted with the colors of the 3/30. The Escadron was transferred to BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan Air Base during the course of the following weeks.

Escadrilles
The Escadron is formed of three escadrilles Until dissolution in 2005 :
 * 1st Escadrille : Metz (from June 27, 1994, until June 27, 2005)
 * 2nd Escadrille : Nancy (from June 27, 1994, until June 27, 2005)
 * 3rd Escadrille : Thionville (from September 1994 until June 27, 2005)

Since reactivation in 2010:
 * SAL 56 "Scarabée"
 * SPA 38 "Chardon de Lorraine"
 * SPA 162 "Tigre" in 2016

Denominations & different designations

 * Groupe Réservé de Bombardement n°1: December 4, 1940 – September 2, 1941
 * Groupe de Bombardement n°1 Lorraine: September 2, 1941 – April 7, 1943
 * No. 342 Squadron RAF: April 7, 1943 – December 15, 1944
 * Groupe de Bombardement I/20 Lorraine: December 15, 1944 – March 11, 1946
 * Groupe de Reconnaissance I/20 Lorraine: March 11, 1946 – July 1, 1947
 * Groupe de Reconnaissance I/31 Lorraine: July 1, 1947 – November 1, 1949
 * Escadron de Chasse de Nuit 1/31 Lorraine: November 1, 1949 – July 1, 1953
 * Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine: July 1, 1953 – March 1, 1962
 * Escadron de Chasse Tout-Temps 3/30 Lorraine: March 1, 1962 – December 20, 1973
 * Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine: December 20, 1973 – June 27, 1994
 * Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine: June 27, 1994 – July 26, 2005
 * Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine: Since October 2010

Locations
From 1961 until 2005, the escadron was successively equipped with Vautour IIN, then Mirage F1, has been deployed on Reims – Champagne Air Base. The latter was reactivated in 2010 on Al Dhafra Air Base, in the United Arab Emirates. In 2016, the Escadron was transferred temporary to Saint-Dizier – Robinson Air Base on June 24, 2016, before joining Mont-de-Marsan Air Base.


 * BA 112 Reims – Champagne Air Base (1961 to 2005)
 * BA 104 Al Dhafra Air Base (2010 to 2016)
 * BA 113 Saint-Dizier – Robinson Air Base (2016)
 * BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan Air Base (2016–present)

Aircraft

 * Sud Aviation Vautour (1957 to 1974)
 * Dassault Mirage F1C (from June 1974 until June 25, 2003)
 * Dassault Mirage F1B (from June 1994 until July 26, 2005)
 * Dassault Mirage F1CT (from August 2003 until July 26, 2005)
 * Dassault Rafale C (October 2010 until present day)