Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale

The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated GIGN(French: Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale), is the French National Gendarmerie's elite Special Operations counter-terrorism and hostage rescue unit. Even if its members belong to the military, they are now charged with police duties outside urbanised areas. As such, GIGN units are closer to enhanced SWAT teams than to pure military units such as the British Army's Special Air Service. Its operators are trained to follow police regulations and include negotiation and investigation specialists.
It is composed of 380 men, including 11 commissioned officers.[citation needed]
It is a counterpart to the RAID unit of the National Police, with enhanced resources and expanded areas of responsibility. In contrast to RAID, GIGN is also responsible for conducting operations outside of France (such as hostage rescue for example). Its missions include the arrest of armed criminals, in particular those takinghostages, counter-terrorism and dealing with aircraft hijacking, and prevention ofprison riots.
History
After the Munich massacre during the Olympic Games in 1972, and a prison mutiny in Clairvaux Prison the next year, France started to study the possible solutions to extremely violent attacks, under the assumptions that these would be difficult to predict and deflect.[1]
In 1973, the GIGN became a permanent force of men trained and equipped to respond to these kind of threats while minimizing risks to the public and hostages, for the members of the unit, and for the attackers themselves. The GIGN became operational on the first of March, 1974, under the command of Lieutenant Christian Prouteau.
Ten days later, a deranged person was successfully stopped in Ecquevilly, validating the techniques of the unit and proving its necessity. GIGN initially had 15 members, which increased to 48 by 1984, 57 by 1988, and 87 by 2000.[1]
[edit]Structure
The GIGN is divided into a command cell, an administrative group, four operational troops of twenty operators, an operational support troop including negotiation, breaching, intelligence, communications, marksmanship, dogs and special equipment cells.[2] The special equipment group equips the unit with modified and high-tech equipment, by either selecting or designing it. GIGN is called about 60 times each year.[3]
All members go through training which includes shooting, long-range marksmanship, an airborne course and hand-to-hand combat techniques (Krav Maga). Members of the GIGN are widely regarded as having some of the best firearms training in the world.[1] It is for this reason that many of the world's special operations and counterterrorist units conduct exchange programs with the GIGN.[1] Mental ability and self-control are important in addition to physical strength. Like most special forces, the training is stressful with a high washout rate of only 7–8% of volunteers making it to the training process. GIGN members must be prepared to disarm suspects with their bare hands.[3]
There are two tactical specialties in the group : HALO/HAHO and divers. Members learn several technical specialties among police dogs, breaching, long-range sniping, negotiation, etc.[1]
[edit]Future
In the future, the newly recruited police officers will be trained for intervention, then will have the opportunity to be trained in protection and/or research/observation (GSPR old missions and the EPIGN). The total will increase to about 420 soldiers in 2010, compared to 380 today. It will then be possible to hire up to 200 men, trained and accustomed to working together in large-scale interventions (mass hostage-taking for example, as in Beslan). The acronym GSIGN has become moot and the acronym "GIGN" refers no longer the same small unit. The collaboration of GIGN and RAID is more and more practiced in large hostage-rescue exercises.
[edit]Operations


Boarding of the Pascal Paoli by the GIGN, on 28 September 2005. The ship had been occupied by the Corsican trade union STC.
Since its creation, the group has taken part in over 1000 operations, liberated over 500 hostages, arrested over 1000 suspects, and killed a dozen terrorists. The unit has seen two members killed in action, and seven in training, since its foundation, and two of its dogs in action and one in training.[4]
Past actions include:
 The liberation of 30 school children from a school bus captured by the FLCS (front de libération de la côte somalienne, "Somali Coast Liberation Front") in Djibouti in 1976.
 Planning the liberation of diplomats from the French embassy in San Salvador in 1979 (the hostage-takers surrendered before the assault was conducted).
 GIGN commandos were instrumental in regaining control during the Grand Mosque Seizure inMecca, Saudi Arabia on November and December 1979.
 Arrest of a Corsican terrorist of the National Liberation Front of Corsica in Fesch Hostel in 1980.
 Liberation of hostages of the Ouvéa cave hostage taking in Ouvea in the New Caledonia in May 1988.
 Protection of the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville.
 In December 1994, the liberation of 229 passengers and crew from Air France Flight 8969 in Marseille. The plane, hijacked by four GIAterrorists that wished to destroy the Eiffel Tower, had been completely mined, and three passengers had been executed during the negotiations with the Algerian government. The mission was widely publicized.
 Arrest of Bob Denard in 1995 in Comoros.
 Operations in Bosnia to arrest persons indicted for war crimes.
 Seizing of 6 Somali pirates and recovery of part of the ransom after making sure "Le Ponant" luxury yacht hostages were freed in the coast of Puntland in Somalia on the Gulf of Aden. In conjunction with French Commandos Marines (Naval commandos) on April 2008.
The GIGN was selected by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to teach the special forces of the other member states in hostage-rescue exercises in planes.
[edit]Training
 Combat shooting and marksmanship training
 Airborne courses, such as HALO or HAHO jumps, paragliding, and heliborne insertions.
 Combat/Underwater swimming, diving and underwater combat.
 Hand to hand or unarmed combat (e.g., Knife fighting and martial arts)
 Psychological warfare, such as prisoner interrogation
 Police and detective work (investigating cases)
 Infiltration and escape techniques
 Sabotage and demolition.
 Weapon handling, such as knives, firearms, etc.
 Survival and warfare in tropical, arctic, mountain and desert environments.
 Language and culture: GIGN operatives are trained to know basic language and culture skills of several countries.
 Diplomacy skills, such as negotiating.
[edit]Equipment


Assault car of the GIGN
 Manurhin Revolver MR73 (4", 5" ¼, 8" and 10") in .357 Magnum
 Smith & Wesson Model 686 GFS Stainless in .357 magnum (4", till 10") for underwater actions
 Glock 19
 Glock 17
 Glock 26
 FN Five-seveN Tactical IOM (5.7x28mm) with Insight Technology M6X Laser
 FN P90 Tactical with Gemtech SP90 Silencer (5.7x28mm)
 FN Minimi
 FN 1200/1300 Shotgun (Winchester 1200/1300 build by FN When GIAT-Nexter hold the Both Companies) - Standard Gendarmerie weapons
 SIG P228 with 20rd Mag & 15rd Mag
 SIG P226 with 20rd Mag & weaponlight Insight Technology M3 LED
 SIG SP2022 - standard sidearm of French Interior Security Forces
 SIG SG550 with Hensoldt 6 x 42 BL (5.56x45mm NATO)
 SIG SG551 SWAT with Hensoldt 6 x 42 BL (5.56x45mm NATO)
 SIG SG552 Commando with Bushnell HOLOsight (5.56x45mm NATO)
 GIAT / Nexter PA MAC Modèle 1950 (MAC50) - standard French Army sidearm (French gendarmerie is part of French Army) Could support the punch of 9x19mm for SMG ammunition
 GIAT / Nexter PAMAS-G1S (Licence Beretta 92G) - standard French Army & Gendarmerie sidearm
 GIAT / Nexter MAT Modèle 1949 Submachingun (MAT49) in (9x19mm Parabellum) - standard gendarmerie weapons
 GIAT / Nexter FAMAS-F1 Infantry 5.56x45mm NATO - standard French Army weapon (French Gendarmerie is part of French Army)
 GIAT / Nexter FRF1 (7,5mm MAS Rifle with converion in 7.62x51mm NATO)
 GIAT / Nexter FSA MAS 49/56 MSE - standard Gendarmerie weapons
 H&K MP5 A5 (3-Round Burst), SD3 (SEF), SD6, and K-PDW (SEF) (Build by GIAT and Sound Silencer from STOPSON TFM)
 H&K UMP (9x19mm Parabellum) - standard gendarmerie weapons
 H&K G3 TGS (with HK 79 de 40 mm and MSG-90 Stock)
 H&K 416
 H&K 417
 H&K 33 EA2 with A3 Folding stock
 H&K G36KE & G36E with B&T Rail Handguard
 Remington 870
 Benelli Super 90 M3T
 Franchi SPAS 12
 Tikka (Beretta Holding Group) T3 Tactical (7.62x51mm NATO) - standard Gendarmerie weapons
 Accuracy International AICS AW with Schmidt & Bender Mil-Dot Mk.II 3-12 × 50 scope (7.62x51mm NATO)
 Accuracy International AICS AWS (7.62x51mm NATO)
 Accuracy International AICS SM in (.338 Lapua Magnum)
 Barrett M82 (.50BMG)
 Barrett M95 (.50BMG)
 McMillan 87R (.50BMG)
 PGM Ultima Ratio (7.62x51mm NATO)
 PGM Hecate II with Scrome J10 10 × 40 (.50BMG)
 PGM Hecate II Nemesis (.50BMG)
[edit]GIGN leaders
 Lieutenant Christian Prouteau : 1973-1982
 Capitaine Paul Barril : 1982-1983 (Interim)
 Capitaine Philippe Masselin : 1983-1985
 Capitaine Philippe Legorjus : 1985-1989
 Major (Commandant or Chef d'Escadron in Cavalry) Lionel Chesneau : 1989-1992
 Capitaine Denis Favier : 1992-1997
 Major (Commandant or Chef d'Escadron in Cavalry) Eric Gerard : 1997–2002
 Lieutenant-Colonel Frédéric Gallois : 2002-2007
 Brigade General Denis Favier : 2007-present
[edit]In fiction
GIGN members are present in several video games such as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown, Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Hitman: Contracts. GIGN uniforms are available in the gamesCounter-Strike and SWAT 4. The group was also mentioned in the Phoenix Force 1984 book Phoenix in Flames.