Editing GIGN (section)

{{Short description|French National Gendarmerie unit}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox law enforcement unit
| unit_name         = National Gendarmerie Intervention Group
| native_name       = {{lang|fr|Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale}}
| native_namea      = <!-- Use {{native name|language code|name}} -->
| native_namer      = <!-- Use {{native name|language code|name}} -->
| image             = Écusson région gendarmerie GIGN.svg
| image_size        = 
| alt               = 
| caption           = Official insignia (2021)
| dates             = 1973–present
| country           = {{flag|France}}
| agency            = [[National Gendarmerie]]
| type              = [[Police tactical unit]]
| role              = {{Unbulletedlist|[[Counterterrorism|Counter-terrorism]]|[[Hostage|Hostage rescue]]|Protection of VIPs and important sites}}
| ops_juris         = {{Plainlist|
* National
* International
}}
| command_structure = 
| headquarters_label = Headquarters
| headquarters      = [[Satory]], [[Yvelines]], France
| coordinates       = {{Coord|48|47|6.59|N|2|06|25.80|E|region:FR-D:landmark|display=inline}}
| motto             = {{lang|fr|S'engager pour la vie}}<ref name="Gendinfo">''Gend'info'' magazine (Official Gendarmerie information magazine in French). GIGN's 40th anniversary issue. December 2014.</ref>
| motto_translated  = ({{translation|"Commitment for life"}})<ref group=note name="motto">''S'engager'' in French can mean ''to commit'' (to do something) but also ''to enlist'' (in the army)</ref>
| common_name       = 
| abbreviation      = GIGN
<!-- Structure -->| sworn_type_label  = Operators
| sworn             = {{circa|1,000}} (400 in Satory)<ref name="GIGN 3.0 l'Essor">New organization for GIGN with full integration of Regional Branches - L'Essor de la Gendarmerie nationale: ''Nouvelle organisation pour le GIGN avec le rattachement intégral des antennes''  https://lessor.org/vie-des-personnels/nouvelle-organisation-pour-le-gign-avec-le-rattachement-des-antennes-gign</ref>
| unsworn_type_label = 
| unsworn           = 
| subunit_type_label = 
| subunits          = 
| station_type_label = 
| stations          = <!-- Commanders -->
| current_commander = [[Major general#France|Général de Division]] Ghislain Réty<ref name="Réty">Official Journal of the French Republic November 2022 https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000046591812</ref>
| notable_commanders = {{unbulletedlist|[[File:Legion Honneur Officier ribbon.svg|30px|alt=Officer of the Legion of Honour|link=Legion of Honour]] [[Christian Prouteau]]|[[File:Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon.svg|30px|alt=Commander of the Legion of Honour|link=Legion of Honour]] [[Denis Favier]]}}
<!-- Notables -->| programs          = <!-- or | programmes = -->
| significant_operations = {{Collapsible list
| title = {{nobold|''See list:''}}
| [[Loyada#History and politics|Loyada hostage crisis]] (1976)
| [[Grand Mosque seizure]] (1979)
| [[Ouvéa cave hostage taking|Ouvéa hostage crisis]] (1988)
| [[Air France Flight 8969|Air France Flight 8969 hijacking]] (1994)
| [[January 2015 Île-de-France attacks|Île-de-France attacks]] (2015)
}}
| anniversaries     = 
| awards            = [[File:Croix de la Valeur Militaire ribbon.svg|30px|alt=|link=]] {{lang|fr|[[Cross for Military Valour|Croix de la Valeur Militaire]]}}
<!-- Equipment -->| vehicles          = 
| boats             = 
| aircraft          = 
| animals           = <!--Website -->
| website           = 
}}

The '''GIGN''' ({{Langx|fr|Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale}} {{Audio|GIGN_2.ogg|pronunciation}}; {{Translation|"National Gendarmerie Intervention Group"}}) is the elite [[police tactical unit]] of the [[National Gendarmerie|French National Gendarmerie]]. Among its missions are [[counterterrorism]], [[Hostage|hostage rescue]], [[surveillance]] of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection (such as [[List of diplomatic missions of France|French embassies]] in war-torn countries), and targeting [[Milieu (organized crime in France)|organized crime]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Peachy|first1=Paul|title=Who are GIGN? Elite police force formed after 1972 Olympics attack on Israelis|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/who-are-gign-elite-police-force-formed-after-1972-olympics-attack-on-israelis-9969163.html|work=The Independent|date=9 January 2015|access-date=27 April 2016}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=40 ans, la naissance |url=https://www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/gign/actus/40-ans-la-naissance |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Special Training for a SWAT Team: The French Curriculum {{!}} Office of Justice Programs |url=https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/special-training-swat-team-french-curriculum |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=www.ojp.gov}}</ref> It is now composed of nearly 1,000 operators: around 400 operators based in [[Satory]], near [[Versailles, Yvelines|Versailles]] in the [[Paris]] area and approximately 600 operators in fourteen regional GIGN branches called AGIGNs ({{langx|fr|Antennes du GIGN|label=none}}), located in [[metropolitan France]] or in the [[Overseas France|French overseas territories]].<ref name="GIGN 3.0 l'Essor" /> The unit shares jurisdiction of French sovereign territory with the special response units of the [[National Police (France)|National Police]],<ref group=note>Each of the two French National Police forces, the [[National Police (France)|National Police]] and the National Gendarmerie, has primary responsibility for a part of the territory: large cities and urban areas for the National Police, smaller cities and rural areas for the National Gendarmerie. There are two National Police units specialised in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue: the Paris [[Research and Intervention Brigade|BRI]] and [[Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion|RAID]]. If needed, they can form a joint task force called [[National Police Intervention Force]] ({{langx|fr|Force d'intervention de la Police nationale or FIPN}}). GIGN and FIPN (or its components) can be engaged together – or in the other force's area of responsibility – in an emergency.</ref> and its training centre is located in [[Beynes, Yvelines|Beynes]].<ref>Aleksander Olech, French and Polish fight against terrorism, Poznan 2022, p. 102; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359135918_French_and_Polish_fight_against_terrorism</ref>

Although most of its operations take place in France, the GIGN (as a component of the [[French Armed Forces]]) 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.<ref name="Gendinfo"/>

In December 1994, the GIGN rose to worldwide prominence after its operatives successfully stormed [[Air France Flight 8969]], which had been hijacked by the [[Armed Islamic Group of Algeria]] at [[Marseille Provence Airport]]; all four hijackers were killed in the assault.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Atlamazoglou |first=Stavros |title=An elite French counterterrorism unit gained worldwide fame for a daring raid on a hijacked plane 28 years ago |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/french-gign-raid-freed-hijacked-air-france-flight-2022-4 |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" caption="GIGN's primary missions" heights=160>
File:GIGN44 Domenjod 011021.jpg|Search and observation
File:GIGN57 Domenjod 170322.jpg|Intervention
File:GIGN35 Domenjod 270918.jpg|Protection
</gallery>