page_title: Escadron de Chasse 1/4 Gascogne
section_title: 3rd Reconstitution & Nuclear Era
hierarchical_section_title: Escadron de Chasse 1/4 Gascogne / 3rd Reconstitution & Nuclear Era
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Mirage IV de l'Escadron de Bombardement 1/91 "Gascogne" en mission de reconnaissance au dessus d'un champ pétrolier en flammes en 1991 suite à la guerre du golfe
context_page_description: The Escadron de Chasse or Fighter Squadron 1/4 Gascogne is a combat unit of the French Air Force. It is equipped with Rafale and is the second unit of the French Air Force to receive that aircraft.
  The 1/91 Gascogne is attached since August 26 2015 to the 4th Fighter Wing which was reformed the same day.
context_section_description: The Bombardment Squadron - Escadron de Bombardement 1/91 Gascogne was reformed on an Aerial Base on June 1 1964. The unit was the first squadron with a nuclear capacity, armed with Mirage IV, and was declared operational as the following October. « Gascogne » was in charge of executing a real nuclear test trial at the Experimentation Center of the Pacific (French: Centre d'expérimentation du Pacifique). In fact, on July 19 1966, after taking off from an Aerial Base in French Polynesia, the arm was dropped at 0505 local time, without any problem. In order to arrive to that simple result, Gascogne had trained extensively to long distance missions with supersonic bombardment capabilities at high altitude. Accordingly, the latter simultaneously, was tasked with maintaining operational alert awareness by fixed means determined by the operational center of the Strategic Air Forces (FAS).     
  On February 1965, a decision by the general staff headquarters of the French Air Force (EMAA) authorized the Escadron/Squadron I/91 « GASCOGNE » to wear the attributed color Fourragere of the predecessor unit, the Groupe de Bombardement I/91 « GASCOGNE ».
  On May 10 1966, it was a Mirage IVA n°36 of Escadron 1/91 "Gascogne" which conducted the first transatlantic cross over with a combat aircraft at French reaction under the command of Commandant Dubroca and Captain Caubert in 7h40, from an Aerial Base. That voyage took 3 Air Supply Aircraft enough to rally the town of Boston.
  In 1968, FAS turned towards low altitude bombardment which became the principal mission of the Squadron, the supersonic bombardment was only retained as a replacing bombardment alternative.
  In 1986, EB 1/91 became the first operational squadron of an arms system Mirage IVP ASMP and consisted of 7 to 8 Mirage IVP.
  On September 1992, following the dissolution of the Escadron de Reconnaissance et d’Instruction 01.328 (reconnaissance and instruction squadron) at Bordeaux. The unit inherited the mission of strategic reconnaissance.
  In the Spring of 1994, the unit participated to Operation Crécerelle of maintaining peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina by conducting several photographic reconnaissance missions on top of the geographical territory.
caption: Mirage IV of Escadron de Bombardement (Bombardment Squadron) EB 1/91 Gascogne in a reconnaissance mission above an oil field in flames in 1991 following the Gulf War.
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