Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine

Escadron de chasse 3/30 Lorraine (Fighter Squadron 3/30 Lorraine)
Active	1940 - present
Country	France
Branch	French Air Force
Type	Fighter aircraft
Part of	30e Escadare de Chasse (French: 30e Escadre de Chasse) composed of 3 Escadrilles : SAL 56 SPA 38 SPA 162
Equipment	Dassault Rafale
Engagements	World War II Second Iraqi Civil War

The Escadron de Chasse or Fighter Squadron 3/30 Lorraine (French: Escadron de chasse 3/30 Lorraine) is a fighter unit of the French Air Force, reactivated on October 2010 under the designation of 3/30 "Lorraine".

History

A Mirage F1 of the current Escadron de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen and another Mirage of the actual Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine (French: Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine) in 1986 armed with Matra R530. Both respective squadron insignias are visible on the aircraft.

F1B with colors of the 3/33 in 2002.

This Escadron is heir to the famous of Lorraine Bombardment Group (French: Groupe de bombardement Lorraine), Order of Liberation.

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 on August 2005, was reactivated under the designation of 3/30 "Lorraine" on October 2010 on Aerial Base 104 Al Dhafra (French: ase aérienne 104 Al Dhafra) at the United Arab Emirates to fly on the Rafale and the Mirage 2000-5, then uniquely on the Rafale since March 2011.

On June 24, 2016,^[1] the 3/30 Lorraine was integrated into the 30^e Escadre de Chasse and replaced the 1/7 Provence on the Saint-Dizier 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 Aerial Base 118 Mont-de-Marsan (French: Mont-de-Marsan) during the course of the following weeks.

Escadrilles

Rafale n° 106 104-HG of the 3/30 at Aero India 2011.

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

• Reserve Bombardment Group number 1 - Groupe Réservé de Bombardement n°1 : December 4, 1940 – September 2, 1941
• Bombardment Group number 1 Lorraine - Groupe de Bombardement n°1 Lorraine : September 2, 1941 – April 7, 1943
• Royal Air Force Squadron No.342 : April 7, 1943 – December 15, 1944
• Bombardment Group I/20 - Groupe de Bombardement I/20 Lorraine : December 15, 1944 – March 11, 1946
• Reconnaissance Group I/20 - Groupe de Reconnaissance I/20 Lorraine : March 11, 1946 – July 1, 1947
• Reconnaissance Group I/31 - Groupe de Reconnaissance I/31 Lorraine : July 1, 1947 – November 1, 1949
• Night Hunter Squadron 1/31- Escadron de Chasse de Nuit 1/31 Lorraine : November 1, 1949 – July 1, 1953
• Fighter Hunter Squadron 3/30 - Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine : July 1, 1953 – March 1, 1962
• All-Times/All-Weather Fighter Hunter Squadron 3/30 - Escadron de Chasse Tout-Temps 3/30 Lorraine: March 1, 1962 – December 20, 1973
• Fighter Hunter Squadron 3/30 - Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine : December 20, 1973 – June 27, 1994
• Fighter Hunter Squadron 3/30 - Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine : June 27, 1994 – July 26, 2005
• Fighter Hunter Squadron 3/30 - Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine : Since October 2010

Locations

From 1961 until 2005, the « Lorraine », Escadron successively equipped with Vautour IIN, then Miarge F1, has been deployed on Aerial Base 112 Reims-Champagne (French: base aérienne 112 Reims-Champagne). The latter was reactivated in 2010 on Aerial Base 104 Al Dhafra (French: base aérienne 104 Al Dhafra), at the United Arab Emirates. In 2016, the Escadron was transferred temporary to Saint-Dizier on June 24, 2016 before joining Aerial Base 118 Mont-de-Marsan (French: Mont-de-Marsan).

• Aerial Base 112 Reims-Champagne (French: Base aérienne 112 Reims-Champagne) (1961 to 2005)
• Aerial Base Al Dhafra (French: Base aérienne Al Dhafra) (2010 to 2016)
• Aerial Base 113 Saint-Dizier-Robinson (French: Base aérienne 113 Saint-Dizier-Robinson) (2016)
• Aerial Base 118 Mont-de-Marsan (French: Base aérienne 118 Mont-de-Marsan) (2016 - present)

Aircraft

« Lorraine » has been equipped with:

• 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 (October 2010 until present days)

References