Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine

of the Escadron de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen and Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine in 1986 armed with Matra R530. This Escadron is heir to the . On June 27, 1994, 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 2000-5F, then only the Dassault Rafale from February 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 September 2, 1941, until June 27, 2005) • 2nd Escadrille : Nancy (from September 2, 1941, until June 27, 2005) • 3rd Escadrille : SPA 62 'Coq de Combat'(from July 1, 1988 until June 26, 1994, transferred as the 3rd Escadrille of the Escadron de Chasse 1/3 Navarre) • 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 • Groupe 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 3/33 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 Mirage 2000-5F (From October 2010 until February 2011) • Dassault Rafale C (October 2010 until present day) ==See also==