5. Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN)
Country: France
Branch: National Gendarmerie
Motto: To enlist for life
Its place in National Gendarmerie order of battle makes GIGN dual purpose unit, which is engaged in both law enforcement and military operations. Groupe Islamique Armé, an Algerian terrorist group, had the misfortune of experiencing firsthand just how efficient GIGN is. In one of the most successful hostage operations ever, French special operators rescued 229 passengers from the hijacked Air France airliner on Marseille airport in 1984, killing all four terrorists on board in the process. Since its inception, GIGN rescued over 600 hostages, while only suffering two KIAs.
Copyright: pixinoo / 123RF Stock Photo
