Groupe d'intervention de la gendarmerie nationale
Groupe d'intervention de la gendarmerie nationale |
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badge |
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Lineup | March 1, 1974 |
Country | 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):
- 1979: Suppression of the occupation of the Great Mosque in 1979 together with the Saudi police
- 1983: Airplane hijacking in Orly
- 1984 and 1994 : Aircraft hijackings in Marseille
- 2015: Liberation of the hostage and killing of the Charlie Hebdo attackers in Dammartin-en-Goële
- 2018: Liberation of the hostage and killing of the perpetrator of the Trèbes hostage-taking
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
- Counterterrorism
- Hostage Liberation
- Personal protection of special dignitaries
Recruitment and training
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
GIGN's equipment includes the following firearms:
Handguns
- Manurhin (Chapuis) MR-73 .357 Magnum
- S&W 686 GFS "Stainless" .357 Magnum
- GIAT PAMAS G1S Beretta 92GS
- Glock 19 and Glock 17
- SIG Sauer P228 and P226
- SIG Pro 2022
- Five-Seven
Long guns
Bolt action shotgun
- Remington 870
- Franchi SPAS 12
- Benelli M3T Super 90
Submachine gun
Machine carabiners
Sniper rifle
- MAS FR-F1
- MAS-49 /56 MSE
- Tikka T3
- Accuracy International AICS AW / AWS 7.62mm NATO & AW SM .338 Lapua Magnum
- PGM Précision 338
- PGM Précision PGM Hécate II .50BMG (FR12.7)
- Barrett M82 & M95 .50 BMG
- McMillan Tac-50
Non-lethal weapons
- Taser X26
See also
literature
- Eric Micheletti: Special Unit GIGN . Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01977-9 .
- "Public Safety" - France's "Cobra" (PDF; 98 kB)