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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.[1]

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Fighter Squadron 3/30 Lorraine
Escadron de chasse 3/30 Lorraine
Rafale
Active	1940–present
Country	France
Branch	Armée de l'air et de l'espace
Type	Fighter aircraft
Part of	30e Escadare de Chasse
Garrison/HQ	BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan Air Base
Engagements	World War II Second Iraqi Civil War
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Dassault Rafale C

History

This Escadron is heir to the Groupe de bombardement Lorraine [fr].

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.[2]

On June 24, 2016,[3] the 3/30 Lorraine was integrated into the 30^e 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)

See also

• List of French Air and Space Force aircraft squadrons

References

Bibliography

• Lambermont, Paul (April 1976). "Escadron "Lorraine", du bombardment moyen à l'attaque en vol rasant il aboutit à la chasse tout-tempts" [Escadron "Lorraine": From Medium Bombardment to Low-level Attack, It Ends as an All-weather Fighter]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (77): 13–18. ISSN 0757-4169.

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