RAID is a small unit consisting of 60 operators. There are four 10 person assault groups, one ten person specialist group (such as EOD and hostage negotiators), and the balance forming the command cadre. The unit's headquarters is in Bievres (on the outskirts of Paris).

Volunteers from all over France apply, but only about 10 in 600 makes it through the arduous selection process. After selection, trainees undergo nine months of training before they are considered operators. Both trainees and operators already in the unit are expected to undergo at least six hours of physical training daily.

RAID uses many of the same weapons GIGN uses (such as the Matra .357 MR-73 and the HK MP-5) but, unlike GIGN, RAID officers are permitted to select their own weapons. Personnel wepaons such as the Glock 19 and Sig-Sauer family are gaining in popularity.

On May 15, 1993, a fifteen man assault force ended a two-day stand off between police and a terrorist who had strapped 16 sticks of dynamite on his chest and taken 21 nursery school children and their teacher hostage. When microphones placed around the school by RAID members indicated that the terrorist, an Algerian named Eric Schmidt, was snoring, the unit jumped into action. One group formed a shield that began evacuating the hostages while another raced to the location that intelligence said Eric Schmidt was holed up. Woken by the runnign boots and sound of escaping children, he began to move menacingly towards the approaching RAID officers. Three .357 rounds ended his extortion attempt. The entire assault had lasted 30 seconds, and none of the hostages were killed.