Adieu Mirage 2000 at BA-115 Orange
On 23 June 2022, the French Air and Space Force bid farewell to the Dassault Mirage 2000 at Orange-Caritat Air Base “Capitaine de Seyne”. After 33 years of operating the type, Escadron de Chasse 2/5 “Île-de-France” was officially disbanded. Its successor, the Dassault Rafale, had already arrived at the southern French air base, continuing the Dassault fighter lineage. During the final week of Mirage 2000 operations, Recce Reports visited Orange to witness the end of an era.
The Mission of Orange
At the time, Orange was home to two operational fighter squadrons and a training unit, all operating the Mirage 2000B and Mirage 2000C. For decades, countless French fighter pilots—including the French Air Force’s first female fighter pilot—completed their initial conversion flights on the Mirage 2000 at Orange.
Although the primary mission of EC 2/5 “Île-de-France” was the air defence of French airspace, the squadron also served as the Operational Conversion Unit for all Mirage 2000 pilots. The unit operated a fleet of 24 aircraft, consisting of 17 two-seat Mirage 2000Bs and 7 single-seat Mirage 2000Cs.
The end of the Mirage 2000
To mark the retirement of the Mirage 2000 from Orange, four aircraft received specially painted tail fins. The artwork honoured the various squadrons that had flown the Mirage 2000 during its distinguished service career at the base.
By the time of the farewell ceremony, the Mirage 2000’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission had already been assumed by the Rafale. To maintain France’s air defence commitment in southern France during the transition, two Rafales from Mont-de-Marsan Air Base were temporarily deployed to Orange.
The retirement of the Mirage 2000 at Orange marked the end of more than three decades of dedicated service.
