The sparrowhawk plan was launched on Monday after a series of armed robberies.
By deploying this device, the gendarmes intended to react to two thefts committed a little earlier in Saulce-sur-Rhône (Drôme) by the same individuals.
They were traveling in a car they had just stolen from a septuagenarian from Montélimar, says Actu Drôme.
A bar-tabac and a service station were robbed.
Each time, the thieves left with a few hundred euros, reports France Bleu Drôme Ardèche.
The two robberies took place two days after criminals seized 12,000 euros from a money transfer agency in Valence (Drôme).
Their way of proceeding resembled that of the thieves on Monday.
The gendarmes wanted to strike a blow to arrest the robbers, without being certain that the three attacks had the same perpetrators.
As part of the sparrowhawk plan, fifty soldiers were mobilized, a helicopter flew over the search areas and road checks were carried out on the axes leading to the Ardèche, Vaucluse and Isère.
However, no suspects were immediately arrested.
Miscellaneous facts
Nanterre: Teenagers suspected of serial robberies in telephone stores
Justice
Alès: Five years in prison after the robbery of a tobacco shop
Valence
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Robbery
Gendarmerie