The EPIGN (Escadron Parachutiste d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) is the parachutist intervention squadron of the French Gendarmerie.
Its missions are generally large-scale operations against terrorism and organized crime. It has also been used for maintaining public order, for searches for persons in difficult environments, and for reinforcements to the security of French diplomatic missions abroad.
It is based in Satory, west of Paris. Along with the GIGN it forms the GSIGN (Groupe de Sécurité et d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, Group of Security and Intervention of the National Gendarmerie).
The EPIGN is commonly mid-identified as serving a solely anti-hijacking mission, however, as stated above, this is not the case.
For example, EPIGN commandos assisted GIGN in July 1987 with riot suppressor at the Fleury-Merogis prison near Paris, and later took part in the assault on the hijacked Air France airliner at Marseilles Airport.
EPIGN is subordinate to the Groupe de Securite et d'Intervention de La Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGS).
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