MILAVIA > Specials > Quatorze Juillet - Paris Air Parade BA105 Evreux Last updated: 15 August 2018
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Photo Report : Quatorze Juillet - Paris Air Parade BA105 Evreux

Quatorze Juillet - Paris Air Parade Staging Base Evreux

Simone Marcato and Giampaolo Tonello visited Evreux air base to witness the gathering of the roughly 50 aircraft participating in the National Day's Military Parade fly-over of the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Bastille Day - National Day Parade France

Since 1880, the France's National day — or Bastille Day — is commemorated in the morning of 14 July of each year in Paris with a military parade known in French as the "Défilé militaire du Quatorze Juillet ".

It is one of the oldest reoccurring military parades in the world and without doubt the biggest in West Europe.

The French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) attends the military parade with a massive fly-over, showing almost all of its aircraft types, together with aircraft formations by the Aéronavale (Naval Aviation Arm). This year the parade included in total 64 aircraft, 220 vehicles, 30 helicopters, and 4290 soldiers, according to the Ministère des Armées

To support this air parade, Base Aérienne 105 Évreux - Fauville (BA 105), besides participants from its resident units, hosts all the fast jets and trainer aircraft involved in the fly past. A total of around 50 aircraft of the Armée de l'Air took part this year.

Usually the fighters and trainers fly to Evreux the day before the parade, to perform a mass take-off on the day and subsequently form the formations before the flying over the Champs-Élysées in Paris. All the aircraft returned directly to their respective home air bases after the fly-past. Also, the aerobatic team Patrouille de France, which always leads the fly-over, flew from Evreux air base.

Allied participation

Among the Armée de l'Air assets, the fly-past was attended by some foreign guests, including Belgium, Republic of Singapore and Germany.

The Luftwaffe attended with the A400M airlifter, currently the most important example of a jointly developed and produced military aircraft by France and Germany, among others, as the two countries embark on new collaborative effort for a fifth generation fighter.

Two Leonardo M-346s advanced training jets belonging the No. 150 Squadron of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, which are based at BA120, Cazaux, were deployed to Evreux. One M-346 — number 324 — flew during the parade, while the other served as spare aircraft. This year RSAF marks 20 years of training at BA120 Cazaux, however this was the first time that the RSAF had taken part in the Bastille Day’s military parade fly past, also marking the debut for participation by an Asian country.

Also, two Belgian Air Component's Alpha Jet belonging the Belgium-French Advanced Jet Training School based at BA 120 Cazaux were deployed to Evreux, with one joining in the air parade and the other — featuring special artwork to commemorate 100 years of 11 Squadron — served as spare aircraft.

Last time for the Mirage 2000N

This parade was the last public appearance of the Dassault Mirage 2000N, the variant of the Mirage 2000 family designed for nuclear strike. The Mirage 2000N was officially retired on 21 June 2018 with a ceremony having taken place at Base Aérienne 125 (BA 125) Istres - Le Tubé. The last unit equipped with the type is the Escadron de Chasse EC 02.004 “La Fayette”. In the fly-past sequence over Paris the single Mirage 2000N lead a small formation with a pair of Rafale Bs, which replaced it in the nuclear strike role.

AdlA participating units

The big air base of Evreux hosts several units, but only its Escadrons de Transport took part in the air parade. Specifically, the Escadron de Transport ET 01.062 “Vercors” and ET 03.062 “Ventoux” both equipped with CN-235s and ET 01.064 “Béarn” and ET 02.064 “Anjou” equipped with C-160Rs.

    Aircraft from the following Escadron de Chasse (EC - Fighter Squadrons) and training units gathered at Evreux:
  • EC 02.004 “La Fayette” with Mirage 2000N, BA125 Istres-Le Tubé;
  • EC 01.002 “Cigognes” with Mirage 2000-5F, BA116 Luxeuil/St.Sauveur;
  • EC 02.005 “Ile de France” Mirage 2000B and Mirage 2000C, BA115 Orange/Caritat;
  • EC 01.003 “Navarre”, EC 02.003 “Champagne”, EC 03.003 “Ardennes” and ETD 04.003 “Argonne” with Mirage 2000D, BA133 Nancy/Ochey;
  • EC 01.004/EC01.091 “Gascogne” and Escadron de chasse EC 01.007 “Provence” with Rafale B and Rafale C, BA113 Saint Dizier/Robinson;
  • EC 02.030 “Normandie-Niemen” and EC 03.030 “Lorraine” and the Escadron de chasse et d'expérimentation 05.330 “Côte d'argent” with Rafale B and C, BA118 Mont-de-Marsan;
  • Escadron d'entraînement 02.002 “Côte d'or “ with Alpha Jet, BA102 Dijon;
  • École de l'aviation de chasse (EAC) 00.314 with Alpha Jet, BA705 Tours;
  • École de transition opérationnelle - Advanced Jet Training School — 8th WING (ETO/8ème WING) with Alpha Jet, BA120 Cazaux;
  • Patrouille de France Alpha Jets, BA701 Salon-de-Provence;
Evreux resident C-160R R212/64-GL landing on July 13th
Rafales and Mirages arriving at Evreux on July 13th
Rafales and Mirages arriving at Evreux on July 13th
Rafale B 332/4-IG landing
More Rafales arrving at Evreux on July 13th
EC 01.002 Mirage 2000-5F 46/2-EN arriving from BA116 Luxeuil
Rafale B 332/4-IG in the early morning sun on July 14th
Line-up of Rafale B, Mirage 2000N, and Mirage 2000B/C aircraft at Evreux on July 14th
Three EC01.002 Mirage 2000-5F from BA116 Luxeuil and a pair of EC02.005 Mirage 2000Bs from BA115 Orange
Resident C-160R R224/64-GX
Line-up of Mirage 2000Ds coming from BA133 Nancy
Mirage 2000D line-up from front to back: EC02.003 620/3-IU, EC01.003 683/3-IV, EC03.003 635/3-AS, EC03.003 613/3-MO
EC02.005 Mirage 2000C 109/115-YH from BA115 Orange
EC03.030 crew getting started with the flight preparation of their Rafale B
EC01.004 Rafale B 340/4-FG
ETR03.004 Rafale B 333/4-IH with mission markings
EC02.004 Mirage 2000N 358/125-BQ with mission marks as LGBs were introduced, so the nuclear strike variant could relief the Mirage 2000D fleet from combat, so the latter could undergo upgrades
EC02.004 Mirage 2000N 358/125-BQ from BA125 Istres-Le Tubé
EC02.030 Rafale C 103/30-HR from BA118 Mont-de-Marsan
EC02.005 Mirage 2000B 523/115-KJ from BA115 Orange
EC03.003 Mirage 2000D 613/3-MO with the ESTA painted fuel tanks
Patrouille de France Alpha Jets
Belgian Air Force Alpha Jet E AT24 in 100 years 11 Squadron anniversary special c/s with 190,000 hours and 40 years since the Alpha Jet took over from the silhouetted Magister and T-33
EAC Alpha Jet E 117/705-RI from BA705 Tours
EC01.004/EC01.091 Rafale B 345/4-FL with Escadrille BR66 marking and 340/4-FGwith Escadrille Salmson 28 marking
EC02.005 Mirage 2000B 527/115-OR from BA115 Orange
EC01.003 Mirage 2000D 683/3-IV
EC01.004/EC01.091 “Gascogne” Rafale B 345/4-FL
EC02.030 crew flying the ECE01.030 Rafale B 315/30-HK, both from the 30e escadre de chasse of BA118 de Mont-de-Marsan
EC02.030 “Normandie-Niemen” emblem on the flight helmet
ECE01.030 Côte d'Argent Rafale B 315/30-HK front
ECE01.030 Rafale B 315/30-HK taxiing
C-160R R215/64-GO take-off
CN-235 200/62-HH take-off
Another shot of the EC01.002 Mirage 2000-5Fs with Escadrille SPA 12 – Cigogne marking
EDCA02.036 E-3F 204/36-CD AWACS over Evreux to join the fly-over formation
EC01.002 Mirage 2000-5F 77/2-AX
Mirage 2000N 548/125-AL representing the last time the 2000N is in the air parade
EC01.004/EC01.091 Rafale B 333/4-IH with Escadrille SPA79 marking
EC02.003 'Champagne' Mirage 2000D 620/3-IU - 75 years of 1933 Brut Champagne
Mirage 2000D 613/3-MO in ESTA 15/3 'Malzeville' technical support squadron's 10 year anniversary markings
EAC Alpha Jet E 117/705-RI
Mirage 2000B 527/115-OR take-off
ETO01.008 Alpha Jet E 118/8-LN
Belgian Air Force Alpha Jet E AT15 joined the French Alpha Jets in the air parade
Republic of Singapore Air Force M-346 324 joined the Alpha Jets in the air parade
EC01.003 Mirage 2000D 683/3-IV
EC03.003 Mirage 2000D 635/3-AS
EC02.005 Mirage 2000C 121/115-KN
EE03.008 Alpha Jet E 105/8-FM
EAC Alpha Jet E 163/705-RB take-off
Rafale B 345/4-FL
Patrouille de France leader departing to open the air parade
EC03.030 Rafale C 103/30-HR take-off
KC-135FR joined by two Rafales. The new A330 MRTT would also join the parade, flying from the Airbus facilities at Getafe, Spain
ETO01.008 Alpha Jet E 118/8-LN
EE03.008 Alpha Jet E 168/8-FP
Belgian Air Force Alpha Jet E AT24 in 100 years 11 Squadron anniversary special c/s with 190,000 hours and 40 years since the introduction of the Alpha Jet, replacing the Magister and T-33
EC03.003 Mirage 2000D 635/3-AS
EC01.004 Rafale B 333/4-IH take-off
EC01.004 Rafale B 317/4-HO take-off
Belgian Air Force Alpha Jet E AT15 passing some Rafale Bs
EC02.005 Mirage 2000C 121/115-KN take-off
EC03.030 Rafale B 324/30-HW take-off


Report by Simone Marcato. Photos by Simone Marcato and Giampaolo Tonello





First Published: 15 August 2018
Last Modified: 15 August 2018

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