The French Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale, National Gendarmerie Intervention Group also known as the GIGN is an elite counter-terrorism unit within the French National Gendarmerie.
Their main role is counter-terrorism and hostage rescue but they also perform surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, and targeting organized crime.
The GIGN has around 400 personnel currently serving and is one of the most experienced counter-terrorism units on the planet.
All GIGN members have to go through an arduous fourteen-month selection process. Candidates undertake a one-week pre-selection screening followed, for those accepted, by a fourteen months training program which includes shooting, long-range marksmanship (it is often considered as one of the best shooting schools in the world), an airborne course and hand-to-hand combat training. Mental ability and self-control are important in addition to physical strength. Like for most special forces, the training is stressful with a high washout rate, especially in the initial phase – only 7–8% of volunteers make it through the training process.
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