The 3rd Fighter Wing was formed on January 1, 1944, as part of the Free French Air Forces under Commandant Monraisse.

GC I/5 Champagne received a visit from Genéral Charles de Gaulle at Oran-La Senia on April 13, 1944.

Between July 17, 1944, and the end of October 1944, the Wing was reinforced with the GC III/3 Ardennes fighter squadron, flying the P-47, as well.

The Wing conducted its last war missions on May 1, 1945, the bad climatic conditions then preventing the P-47 to take off until the signature of the cease-fire, on May 8, 1945.

On August 1, 1948, an arms ceremony (French: prise d'armes) was held to celebrate the departure of the Wing to Indochina.

Navarre embarked on September 3, 1948, on the Pasteur and arrived at the end of month to Indochina at Haiphong.

In February 1951, the « la 3 » passed on the Republic F-84E Thunderjet, with the last Vampire flat taking lieu on March 29, 1951.

On January 1, 1953, the Escadre gained an additional squadron with the activation of the Escadron the Chasse 3/3 Ardennes.

Towards the end of the month of September 1956, some F-84F of the "3" were deployed on the British Air Base RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus.

Following the dissolution of the EC 3/3 Ardennes on November 15, 1957, the Escadre of these two squadrons commenced their transition on the F-100 Super Sabre.

As of October 1965, Champagne started the transition on Dassault Mirage IIIE followed by Navarre end of November 1965.

While passing on Mirage IIIE, the squadron changed missions and dedicated itself to aerial defense and tactical assaults.

Simultaneously, the latter abandoned the mission of tactical support to assume that of low altitude cover of bases of the Strategic Air Forces.

The latter abandoned the hunter (French: chasseurs) delta of Dassault in April 1977, and flew accordingly on the Jaguar.