The 30e Escadre de Chasse or 30th Hunter Escadre is a wing of the Fighter Brigade of the French Air Force. It consists of several flying squadrons and support units.
Representing the traditions of the Night Hunter Fighter Group 1/31- Groupe de Chasse de Nuit 1/31 Lorraine, the 30th Mixed Instruction and Night Hunter Escadre - 30e Escadre Mixte d'Instruction et de Chasse de Nuit was created on May 1 1953 on the base of Tours. Flying the Gloster Meteor NF.11, the latter comprised three night hunter fighter squadrons : Escadron de Chasse de Nuit 1/30 Loire, Escadron de Chasse de Nuit 2/30 Camargue , Escadron de Chasse de Nuit 3/30 Lorraine. The "Camargue" possessed a couple of Meteor Mk.7 for the transformation of new pilots on the English jet. As of 1957, the Escadre passed to Vautour IIN and became an all-weather fighter wing - the 30e Escadre de Chasse Tout Temps on May 1 1957. During the same time, the Camargue Squadron was dissolved.
At Reims on Vautour
With the return from Morocco of the Hunter Fighter Pilot School which left Aerial Base 708 Meknes and moved to Tours Air Base, the 30th Escadre moved to Reims, however the latter's squadrons were spread over three bases. Between October 1961 and July 1962, the "1/30 Loire" was attached to the 10e Escadre de Chasse at Aerial Base 110 Creil. The "3/30 Lorraine" garrisoned at Reims. The 2/6 Normandie-Niemen left the Aerial Base 141 Oran la Sénia for Aerial Base 115 Orange-Caritat, where the later became the 2/30 Normandie-Niemen. On July 1965, the "1/30 Loire" which garrisoned at Reims since August 1962, was dissolved. One year later the "2/30" left Orange to move to Reims. The two squadrons of the 30e Escadre flew on Vautour IIN until 1973.
On December 20 1973, the seven Mirage F1C arrived at Reims to equip the 2/30 Normandie-Niemen. The 30e ECTT became then the 30e Escadre de Chasse. Following the dissolution of the 10e Escadre de Chasse and the closure of the Aerial Base of Creil in June 1985, the Hunter Fighter Squadron - Escadron de Chasse 1/10 Valois recently transformed on Mirage F1C garrisoned at Reims and became the "1/30 Valois". The 30e EC accordingly possessed three Hunter Fighter Squadrons, each equipped with 15 single-seat Mirage F1C. On July 1 1988, the "3/10 Vexin" on the Aerial Base of Djibouti, on Mirage F1C, was attached to the 30e Escadre while assuming the denomination of "4/30 Vexin". On July 1988, the "3/30" inherited pilots on the Mirage F1 from the transformation mission. The squadron gained the enrichment of the third Escadrille and Mirage F1B biplaces.
The end
The 30e Escadre de Chasse was dissolved on the Aerial Base of Reims on June 27 1994. The "1/30 Valois" was dissolved the same day, while the other three squadrons kept for a couple more years their inherited enumeration of the "30".
The recreation
The 30e Escadre de Chasse was reformed on the Aerial Base 118 Mont-de-Marsan on September 3 2015. The Escadre is equipped with multi-role hunters Dassault Rafale.
