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France has been looking for some new recruits for its Commandement des Opérations Spéciales, and it’s turning to YouTube to drum up some interest.[caption id="attachment_12857" align="aligncenter" width="850"]
Members of France’s special forces fire their HK416 rifles. (Youtube screenshot)[/caption]According to a report by the London Daily Mail, the video is titled, “A very special video” (gee, did they draw their inspiration from promos for the TV show “Blossom” when they were talking titles?), and shows French commandos in the type of scenes you’d see in a Hollywood blockbuster.This includes insertions by parachute, minisub, and with scuba gear.[caption id="attachment_12858" align="aligncenter" width="840"]
A Eurocopter Tigre escorts a transport helicopter. (Youtube Screenshot)[/caption]The French Commandement des Opérations Spéciales was founded in 1992 to control the special operations forces across the entire French military. This includes the 1st Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine and the 13th Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes from the French army, the Force Maritime des Fusiliers Marins et Commandos from the French navy, and the Division des Opérations Spéciales from the French air force.The famous Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale — known for a number of hostage rescues and counter-terrorism missions — can be called on by the COS for reinforcement, along with other units across all the French armed forces.[caption id="attachment_12859" align="aligncenter" width="725"]
A C-160 Transall comes in for a landing. (Youtube Screenshot)[/caption]One notable piece of gear that is featured in the video is the Transall C-160, a Franco-German twin-engine cargo plane that can hold up to 88 paratroopers and which has a top speed of 368 miles per hour and a range of 1,151 miles. France had 75 of these planes in service.Also seen are helicopters like the AC532 Cougar, the AS332 Super Puma, and the AS330 Puma, Tigre gunships, and assault rifles like the HK416 and FAMAS. You can see the entire trailer below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMWe-3px7jEMore from We Are The Mighty:The 8 most elite special forces in the world, according to BI DefenseHere's what training is like for the Air Force's most elite operators
