GIGN

The GIGN is the elite tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie. Among its missions are counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection, and targeting organized crime.
Established in 1973 and becoming operational in 1974, the GIGN was initially created as a relatively small tactical unit specialized in sensitive hostage situations, but has since grown into a larger force with expanded responsibilities and capabilities. It is now composed of nearly 1,000 operators. The main unit comprises around 400 operators based in Satory, near Versailles in the Paris Region. Approximately 600 additional operators make up fourteen regional GIGN branches called AGIGNs, seven of which are also located in metropolitan France and the remaining seven, in French overseas territories. The unit shares jurisdiction of French sovereign territory with the special response units of the National Police, and its training centre is located in Beynes.
Although most of its operations take place in France, the GIGN can operate anywhere in the world. Many of its missions are secret, and GIGN operators are not allowed to be publicly photographed. Since its formation, the GIGN has been involved in over 1,800 missions and has also rescued more than 600 hostages, making it one of the most experienced counter-terrorism units in the world.
In December 1994, the GIGN rose to worldwide prominence after its operatives successfully stormed and rescued the passengers of Air France Flight 8969, which had been hijacked by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria, at Marseille Provence Airport.

History

GIGN was formed in Maisons-Alfort, near Paris, in 1973, shortly after the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics and other less-known incidents in France exposed a need for dedicated counterterrorist units.
Initially named ECRI, it became operational in March 1974, under the command of then-lieutenant Christian Prouteau, and executed its first mission ten days later.
Another unit, named GIGN, was created simultaneously within the Mobile Gendarmerie parachute squadron in Mont-de-Marsan in southwest France, but the two units were merged under Prouteau's command in 1976, and adopted the GIGN designation.
GIGNs initial complement was 15, later increased to 32 in 1976, 78 by 1986, and 120 by 2005. GIGN moved to Versailles-Satory in 1982.
In 1984, it became a part of a larger organisation called GSIGN, together with EPIGN, GSPR, the Presidential Security group and GISA, a specialized training center.
On 1 September 2007, a major reorganization took place. GSIGN was disbanded and replaced by a new unit also named GIGN. The former GSIGN components became "forces" of the new GIGN which now reached a total complement of 380 operators.
The change from GSIGN to the new GIGN, an organization reporting directly to the Director-general of the Gendarmerie, was not a simple name swap. It was done in order to reinforce command and control functions; provide better integration through common selection, common training and stronger support; and improve the unit's capability to handle complex situations such as mass hostage-takings similar to the Beslan school siege.
In 2009, the Gendarmerie, while remaining part of the French Armed Forces, was attached to the Ministry of the Interior, which already supervised the National Police. The respective areas of responsibility of each force did not change however, as the Police already had primary responsibility for major cities and large urban areas, while the Gendarmerie was in charge of smaller towns and rural areas. Under the new command structure, GIGN gendarmes can still be engaged in operations outside of France due to their military status.
In January 2015, GIGN was engaged for the very first time simultaneously with RAID, the National Police tactical unit, during the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks.
On 1 August 2021, the 14 regional GIGN branches were fully integrated in the group's organization as part of a new Force Antennes. Prior to this reorganization, these regional branches, established in 2004, had been administratively attached to the seven domestic "Zonal Gendarmerie Regions" for seven of them and to the Overseas Gendarmerie Command for the remaining seven but they were independent units that only came under GIGN operational control when a crisis occurred. Sometimes referred to as "GIGN 3.0", the new organization also emphasizes the group's role in training and in operational support. Ministerial decree of 26 July 2021. Arrêté du 26 juillet 2021 relatif aux attributions et à l'organisation du groupe d'intervention de la gendarmerie nationale NOR : INTJ2120405A https://media.interieur.gouv.fr/bomi/BOMI2021-8-2/textes/I40_20210726_INTJ2120405A.pdf
A new common insignia was adopted as a result of the 2021 reorganization. Shaped as a shield, it worn on the left sleeve by every GIGN gendarme. A circular badge is worn on the right sleeve: the traditional round GIGN patch for Satory-based operators and a different patch for members of the AGIGNs. The AGIGN patch replaces the parachute with a thunderbolt, as AGIGNs are not parachute units.
Since its creation, the group has taken part in over 1,800 operations, rescued over 600 hostages and arrested over 1,500 suspects, losing four members killed in action and ten in training. Three of the four fatalities in action were sustained when dealing with armed deranged persons. The fourth one occurred during an operation against illegal gold-mining in French Guiana in March 2023.

Structure

GIGN is currently organized in four "forces", a "détachement", an Engineering and Support division, a National Training Center for Specialized Intervention and a Human Resources bureau, under two headquarters :

Intervention Force

Also known as the original GIGN, the Intervention Force has approximately 100 operators, serving as GIGN's main assault unit.
It is divided into four platoons, two of which are on alert at all times. These sections are further divided into individual teams of operators. Two of the intervention sections specialize in high altitude jumps; the other two specialize in diving.

Observation & Search Force

Approximately 40 operators, the Observation & Search Force specialises in reconnaissance in relation with judiciary police work, and counterterrorism. Formed from the EPIGN.

Security & Protection Force

Approximately 65 operators, the Security & Protection Force specialises in executive and sensitive site protection. Formed from the EPIGN.

Regional Branches Force

The Regional Branches Force serves as the headquarters for the fourteen regional GIGN branches.

Gendarmerie Detachment of the GSPR Presidential Security Group

The Gendarmerie Detachment of the GSPR Presidential Security Group is tasked with protecting the President of France. Originally a Gendarmerie unit, the GSPR is now jointly operated by the Gendarmerie and the National Police.

Engineering and Support Division

The Engineering and Support Division is a support force with cells specializing in long-range sniping, breaching, assault engineering, special devices, and other specializations.

National Training Center for Specialized Intervention

The National Training Center for Specialized Intervention is tasked with selection, training and retraining not only of GIGN operators, but also of selected Gendarmerie or foreign personnel.

Regional and overseas branches

Although GIGN, as part of the French military, has been deployed to external combat zones, it is primarily centered in France, engaging in peacetime operations as a special police force.
The fourteen regional GIGN branches, initially known as PI2Gs for the domestic units and GPIs for the overseas units, were respectively redesignated as GIGN branches in April and July 2016 and fully integrated into GIGN in 2021.
As of 2021, the seven metropolitan GIGN branches are located in Caen, Dijon, Nantes, Orange, Reims, Toulouse and Tours, while the seven overseas branches are based in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte, French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
The twenty nuclear protection units, called PSPGs, located on site at each one of the French nuclear power plants, are not a part of GIGN, but operate under its operational control.

Operations

GIGN reports directly to the Director General of the Gendarmerie Nationale, i.e., the chief of staff of the Gendarmerie, who in turn reports directly to the Ministry of the Interior.
The DGGN or his Deputy for Operations can take charge in a major crisis; however, most of the day-to-day missions are conducted in support of local units of the Departmental Gendarmerie. GIGN is also a member of the European ATLAS Network, an informal association consisting of the special police units of the 27 states of the European Union.

Known operations

Known GIGN operations include:

Rescue of 30 French pupils from a school bus captured by the Front de Libération de la Côte des Somalis in Loyada, Djibouti in 1976. GIGN snipers and French Foreign Legion troops killed the hostage-takers in an operation that was only partially successful, as two children were killed.
Planning the rescue of diplomats from the French Embassy in San Salvador in 1979; the hostage-takers surrendered before the assault was conducted.
Advising Saudi authorities during the Grand Mosque Seizure in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in November and December 1979.
Arrest of several Corsican terrorists of the National Liberation Front of Corsica at the Fesch Hostel in 1980.
Arrest of suspected Irish terrorists in the Irish of Vincennes affair, in August 1982.
Rescue of hostages during the Ouvéa cave hostage taking in Ouvea, New Caledonia in May 1988.
Protection of the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville.
Rescue of 229 passengers and crew from Air France Flight 8969 in Marseille in December 1994. Nine GIGN operators were wounded during the operation, but all four hijackers were killed. The mission was broadcast live by news channels, increasing awareness of GIGN's existence.
Arrest of the mercenary Bob Denard and his group during a coup attempt in 1995 in Comoros.
Operations in Bosnia to arrest persons indicted for war crimes.
Capture of 6 Somali pirates, and recovery of part of the ransom, after ensuring that Le Ponant luxury yacht hostages were freed off the coast of Puntland, Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, in conjunction with French Commandos Marine in April 2008.
Deployment of tactical teams in Afghanistan in support of French Gendarmerie POMLT detachments from 2009 to 2011.
Deployment in Libya during Operation Harmattan in 2011.
Neutralization of the two terrorists involved in the Paris Charlie Hebdo shooting on 7 January 2015.
Deployment to the 2015 Bamako hotel attack, although the situation had already been taken care of by local police, with assistance from American and French special forces, by the time the GIGN team arrived.
Neutralization of the terrorist responsible for the Carcassonne and Trèbes attack in March 2018. This operation was conducted by an AGIGN unit based in Toulouse under GIGN supervision, while operatives sent from Satory were still underway.
Several deployments in Ukraine in 2022 to protect various French or International missions during the Russian invasion.
Deployment to counter unrest in New Caledonia in 2024

GIGN was selected by the International Civil Aviation Organisation to organise hostage-rescue exercises aboard planes for the special forces of the other member states.