11e régiment parachutiste de choc The 11 régiment parachutiste de choc ( " 11th shock parachute regiment ) , often called 11 choc , was a parachute elite regiment of the French Army . It used to serve as the armed branch of the SDECE . Its insignia , designed by lieutenant Dupas , features Bagheera in the moonlight and a golden wing . The motto is " Qui ose gagne " ( " who dares wins " ) , in continuation of the tradition of the British Special Air Service . History . The " 11 choc " was meant from the start to constitute a reserve of soldiers available to the French special services . The " 11 choc " was initially composed of one single battalion , the " 11 bataillon parachutiste de choc " . From 1 September 1946 , it was stationned in Mont - Louis . In the aftermath of the Second World War , an " action service " of the SDECE was created by Jacques Morlane . It grouped veterans of the Second World War having served in the " Bataillon de Choc " of 1936 , in the " 1 bataillon de choc " ( founded in 1943 ) , or as SOE agents , as well as veterans of Indochina . In spring of 1947 , Morlane sent R . Mautaint in Mont - Louis to train the new unit . Mautaint had authored numerous reports on SOE training that inspired that of the French services . In July 1947 , as the complement of the " 11 choc " grew , Morlane nominated Paul Aussaresses to replace Mautaint . Aussaresses described his mission as " perform what was by then called ' psychological warfare ' , wherever it was necessary , notably in Indochina ( . . . ) I trained my men for clandestine operations , airborne or otherwise , that could range from building demolition to sabotage or elimination of enemies " . From 1952 , elements of the " 11 choc " were sent to Indochina to lead and train the " Groupement de commandos mixtes aéroportés " ( GCMA ) , though the 11 Choc did not take part in the conflict as a unit . Back from Indochina in 1952 , Aussaresses was tasked to assassinate supporters of the FLN . Morlane " was convinced that a Soviet invasion was imminent , and had been busy constituting secret weapon caches all over the territory so that , when time would come , a resistance could be organised " . On 1 October 1955 , a " 12 bataillon parachutiste de choc " was created . It was stationned in Calvi and Corte , in Corsica . Together , the 11th and 12th Battalions were the " 11 demi - brigade parachutiste de choc " ( " 11 DBPC " ) , also formed on 1 October . The insignia of the " 12 BPC " featured an eagle and a star on a parachute background . In late October 1956 , elements of both battalions took part in the Suez Crisis . The " 12 BPC " was disbanded on 30 April 1957 and immediately re - created as the " 1 bataillon parachutiste de choc " . Its insignia featured a dagger with a map of France as background , and its motto was " En pointe toujours " ( " at the tip , always " ) . From 1 May 1957 , the " 11 DBPC " was thus constituted of the 11th BPC , the 1st BPC and the " bataillon d ' instruction spécialisé " ( BIS , " training special battalion " ) , based in Calvi , Corté , Collioure , and Mont - Louis . During the Algerian War , the 11 Choc at first deployed a " groupement léger d ' intervention " ( GLI , " light intervention group " ) , and later a " groupement de marche " ( GM 11 . DBPC ) , as well as local antennas of the " action service " , and a specialised detachment called DS 111 . The " 11 Choc " did not take part in the Algiers putsch of 1961 , but some officers did sympathise towards the putschists . The unit was disbanded on 31 December 1963 and its standard handed over to the National Commando Training Centre at Mont - Louis . In 1985 , general René Imbot , director of the DGSE , re - created the " 11 Choc " as the " 11 régiment parachutiste de choc " ( 11 RPC ) . In 1988 , elements took part in the Ouvéa cave assault . The restructuring of the French Intelligence and Special Operations organs following the Gulf War entailed the disbanding of the 11 RPC on 31 December 1993 .