Groupe d'intervention de la gendarmerie nationale

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Groupe d'intervention de la gendarmerie nationale
- GIGN -

GIGN badge

badge
Lineup March 1, 1974
Country FranceFrance France
Branch of service Special forces
Type Counterterrorism
Strength approx. 380
Insinuation National gendarmerie
motto S'engager pour la vie. (German: to commit oneself to life)

The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group ( GIGN [ʒiːʒən]; German: Reaction Force of the National Gendarmerie ) is a special unit of the French Gendarmerie with the main use of counter-terrorism .

The GIGN is comparable to the German GSG 9 and the Austrian Cobra . Together with other units, GIGN carried out the development work for the Atlas network of European police special units .

history

The GIGN was officially set up by Christian Prouteau on March 1, 1974, after the hostage-taking of Munich (1972) and the occupation of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Paris (1973). The list had been considered earlier, but was not initially implemented. Your current location is Satory , south of Versailles .

GIGN became known, among other things, through the release of hostages in February 1976 in Djibouti , where rebels had hijacked a school bus.

Further assignments (selection):

GIGN air operation during the kidnapping of Pascal Paoli on September 28, 2005

GIGN units were also involved during the strikes in Corsica over a possible privatization of the ferry company SNCM . On September 28, 2005, they boarded the Pascal Paoli ship in front of the port of the Corsican city of Bastia , which had been kidnapped by striking sailors.

assignment

Recruitment and training

GIGN members during a training session

A prerequisite for candidates is five years of service in the gendarmerie . For the selection process, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

  • 8000 meters of cross-country run with backpack and long weapon in a maximum of 60 minutes
  • 300 sit-ups
  • 100 pushups
  • 25 pull-ups

as well as a swimming test

  • 100 meters freestyle
  • 50 meters with tied arms and legs
  • 50 meters distance diving
  • Jump from the 10 meter tower

The selection course with command course, a survival test and the test on shooting skills as well as other performance-related tests form the beginning of the training. As a rule, only 10% of the participants survive this phase, who are then instructed in the basic skills of GIGN in a two-month course. After half a year, the candidate trains with an active team and learns other skills, including personal protection and dealing with insurgents. After completing this training phase , the candidate is awarded his GIGN badge and becomes a member of GIGN. He is then assigned to an active team.

Further training sections in HALO / HAHO skydiving and as a combat swimmer follow.

equipment

Members of the GIGN with equipment

GIGN's equipment includes the following firearms:

Handguns

Long guns

Bolt action shotgun

Submachine gun

Machine carabiners

Sniper rifle

Non-lethal weapons

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale  - collection of images, videos and audio files