| Cobra Infantry Corps | |
|---|---|
Basic Cobra Combat Uniform | |
| Affiliation: | Cobra |
| Commanding Navy/Military: | Cobra Navy |
| Date of Foundation: | Unknown |
| Capitol City: | Cobra Island |
| Central/Main Species: | Human |
| Current Members/Soldiers: | 500,000 |
| Organization/Military Divisions: | Basic Trooper (Recruit & Basic)
|
| Central Leader(s): | Cobra Commander (Central)
Major Bludd (Divisional) |
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| |
The Cobra Infantry Corps or Cobra Troopers as they are more commonly known are the central fighting backbone of the international paramilitary terrorist force known as Cobra.
History[]
Before Cobra started to have more specialized personnel, there were the Cobra Troopers. These men served as the basic infantrymen of Cobra. Each man swore absolute loyalty to its leader, Cobra Commander. While serving as the infantrymen of the organization, they are also cross-trained to be proficient in at least two other support skills.
A large portion of what makes up the Trooper forces are mercenaries and low-ranked criminal elements from various countries who have taken up Cobra's offer of wealth and power. However, in later years, a good deal of standard infantry were recruited from some of the Third World countries they annexed as a promise of financial and social improvement in their lives compared to their lives under the authority of the poorer managing overthrown leaders of their homelands.
Criminal History[]
The following is a nearly complete listing of criminal activities or incidents created by or involving members or divisions of the Cobra Infantry. This section is split into 2 subsections, American or general international incidents and activity with the United Kingdom. Incidents between Cobra and British forces were so frequent they merited their own section.
Activity Internationally and within the United States[]
- The attempted kidnapping of nuclear physicist Dr. Adele Burkhart, where troops led by Baroness subdued Secret Service guards and later gave security to a small island outpost. (1982)
Activity within the United Kingdom[]
- The attempted kidnap of Ahmed Hassan, the first Ishmali ambassador to the United Kingdom. They actually captured a disguised Shipwreck. They fought off a rearguard Action Force rescue mission, but Shipwreck eventually escaped.
- An attack on the Action Force Weapons Testing Range in Stonebury to steal secret plans.
- An attempted kidnapping of Flint while in the UK, which took Scarlett instead.
- An attempted recovery of a fallen UK spy satellite in an Asian jungle.
- A supposed conflict between Cobra and the Mafia in Venice, though the whole thing was a smokescreen to cover an alliance between the two to disrupt Britain's supply chain structure.
- An operation involving British stationed Cobra troops deployed in the Middle East.
- The attempted capture of a Northrod B2 bomber crew who crashed on an island with top-secret information
- The attempted theft of the new Broadcast Energy Transmitter from a Mediterranean island.
- An attempt to prevent Action Force agents from smuggling out information on Cobra operations in Italy.
- The stealing of a huge diamond in Amsterdam to power a laser.
- An assault on London to free Destro who was held prisoner at Action Force's headquarters.
Infantry Corps Divisions[]
When restructured into a more independent terrorist organization, Cobra Commander based the basic structure of Cobra's primary infantry on the divisional formation of United States infantry during the Vietnam and Cold War eras. With basic troops providing basic security and front-line combat, with more specialized troops for special and covert missions and equipment and base construction.
Partially due to simplification and a minor way to mock US forces, Commander made Cobra infantry a dark inversion of allied military divisions. While American and UN-based forces led missions of international rescue, military defense, and humanitarian aid, Cobra forces intentionally went out of their way to create aggression, annexation of small countries, and place civilian populations in harm's way for their own personal wants.
By the early 2000s, divisions were restructured again more to modern Eastern European and Russian infantry structure. Including some of the tactical gear and assault arms of various Slavic countries, such as Automated Kalashnikov series 100s rifles and magnum ammunition-based pistols.
Standard: These are the basic troops within the Cobra organization. Also known or nicknamed as "Blue Shirts" standard infantry provide base security and frontline combat in smaller militarily weaker countries where victories are assured. In later years their basic blue uniforms were updated to blue-shaded digital camouflage for a more modernized distinctive look.
Night Watch: They form Cobra's basic support for black operations and stealth divisions. They also act as the organization's nighttime patrol as due to their inconspicuous covert training. They appear in black and blue camouflage.
Desert Assault: They are primarily desert-specialized infantry. Mostly operating as vehicle and handheld heavy machine gunners, they wear tan-based desert camouflage uniforms.
Polar: They are the basic infantry support for Snow Serpents, Basic and Neo Ice Vipers, and Cryo Eels. Working as suppressive assault support and security along all of Cobra's Arctic asset and stealth defense bases.
Python Patrol: They are the highest ranking and specialized of Cobra infantry divisions, highly skilled and trained in stealth. Their distinctive Python patterns provide them with enhanced stealth versus electronic detection.
Night Stalkers: Also known as Night Stalker Shock Troops, They are an all-female force of specialized assault troopers. They rely on the confusion of large battles to infiltrate enemy bases, to secure their objectives.
Their uniforms are black with highlighted red trim. They have a light protective corset vest covering only the front side of their torso and is held up by the collar and straps. They sport a black German-styled helmet with goggles, and they bind their long hair into a ponytail.
Duty Uniform/Gear and Weapons Loadout[]
Pre-Cold War Era[]
In accordance with Cobras World War II based history, the majority of trooper uniforms were basic German field infantry uniforms dyed a shade of Prussian blue with the cobra head insignia stitched on the chest and shoulders of the sleeves. Each trooper was equipped with not much different from a basic German infantryman during the war.
With a standard MP44 semiautomatic rifle, era service pistol, and redesigned cobra head-capped field tactical knife with only occasional specialty weaponry given for more detailed covert or sabotage-based missions such as light machine guns, silenced automated rifles, and long-range heavy munitions.
Early Cold War Era[]
By the early 1950s to early 60s, Cobra troops were updated with more Americanized service fatigue uniforms with minor bits of bullet-resistant armor along with the now outdated MP44 replaced with Carl Gustaf m45 semiauto rifles and M3 SMG munitions.
They also still heavily relied on silenced munitions for more covert missions, as well as the introduction of the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle towards the end of this period. Russia began to take an invested interest in Cobra by the early 60s due to leadership changes, Cobra's focus on Russian assets due to their motivation to exact revenge upon all the nations that led to Germany's military defeat began to wane. Now that Cobra began to have motivations, more self-serving Russian intelligence powers began to secretly open weapons trade deals with Cobra in the hopes that they would by proxy eliminate the USSR's enemies.
Thus the inclusion of the SVD to mainline troops. This allowed for quick and efficient assassination missions. The rifle becomes the standard for Cobra infantry for near decades.
Also brought into standard was the use of Czech Škorpion vz. 61 pistols, The gun was more useful than a basic service pistol as it had an extending rear stock, could be fully silenced, adjustable iron sights, and semi-modular ammunition magazine attachment for varying firing force and penetration. The pistols were also semi-automatic, providing an easy emergency replacement if their "Swedish K" rifles ran out of ammo.
Mid to Late Cold War era[]
This period became the defining golden age-era for the organization, as this led to the more linear uniformity of both weapons and gear that Cobra became visually most remembered for. The base uniform consisted of an early Kevlar model (specifically Kevlar K-129) lined full Battle Dress Uniform of tactical jacket and pants, with a similar blue under T-shirt.
Similar to more modern American-style uniforms, jackets with Velcro fastening patches were stitched throughout the chest and sleeves. This allowed for personal customization of serial number, rank, and regiment and division post. This also made it easier if a trooper was either shot or killed, The uniform could be stripped off of the body, cleaned, service patches removed and be given to another newly recruited trooper with their rank and service added thus saving money on uniform manufacture and without having to overly repair a new uniform once the old patches were removed.
The only permanent iconography on the uniform is the ever-present Cobra head insignia either printed or stitched into the chest and shoulders and occasionally the pant legs.
Trooper helmets were modernized Stahlhelm helmets reinforced with Kevlar padding and thicker steel with the Cobra Insignia stamped in the forward center.
The helmet redesign was meant to be a tribute to Cobra's German origins. Knee-padded low-heeled combat all-terrain boots completed the uniform. The heels allow for a more sturdy grip for footholds while operating a motorcycle.
A reverse-engineered ALICE tactical gear loadout kit taken from stolen US military concepts completed the look. It consisted of an individual equipment utility belt with pouches and packs for an emergency first aid kit, a small holster and or sheath for a classic model tactical blade, grenades and "sticky" munitions, a wallet pack, spare rifle and pistol ammunition, and a few days food and water rations (larger portioned rations for desert troops).
The entire set was held and supported together with 2 service equipment reinforced suspenders with extra pouches attached to the belts and attached to extra strap webbing for placing from a medium to large service Field Pack (Backpack) meant for either long-range or term field missions or missions where more specialized carried equipment is needed.
The most specialized troops wore a complete gear kit with a Cargo Support Shelf added for the carrying of heavy munitions or mission-specific equipment.
Weapons trade with Soviet-controlled regions increased by the late 1970s with the introduction of Automated Kalashnikov Modernized or AKM series rifles were fully adopted into the Cobra arsenal. They first received AK-47s for basic automated artillery, but it was quickly updated with AKS-47F (F for Folding stock). As well, the standard of Dragunov rifles were updated with the SVDN-2 model, as it had full night vision features for full covert usage.
However, for a long time Cobra fully utilized Vietnamese-produced STL-1A rifles as they were surprisingly far more advanced than basic 47 and AKM rifles and more similar to 21st century Slavic rifles. Cobra also used the STL-1B as they were fully modular, allowing for long-range combat and differing ammo magazine size attachment.
Finally, many troopers are equipped with at least 3 44. Automag heavy pistols (sometimes scoped) either hip holstered or more typically held to 2 belt strapped holsters attached to each boot and on occasion a pistol holstered to a gear suspender belt. This placement might allow for a trooper to reach for a gun if suddenly disarmed. Many of these pistols, mainly of Italian manufacture from later arms trading with the Italian Mafia due to their dealings in earlier years (see Criminal History subsection above).
However, Škorpion pistols are still in use for their remaining usefulness and utility for high-paced combat.
Troop Stations[]
Cobra troops just as mainstream military divisions are stationed in secret bases throughout the world this is a small listing.
- Cobra Mothership (mobile base)
- Cobra Island
- Destro's castle
- Destro's oil rig
- Cobra's base in Morocco
- Cobra's supply base in the Amazonian jungle
- Support security for Military Armaments Research Systems headquarters in Scotland
- A Cobra rocket launch base hidden in the Australian outback
- Security for most of Cobra's undersea bases from the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa to the Arctic.
- Grave Island in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, where a group of American soldiers were tricked into thinking they were still fighting in the Vietnam War, but were in reality undertaking missions for Cobra.