|
The Alley Vipers are the Cobra equivalent of a police S.W.A.T. unit or British S.A.S. (Special Air Service). They form the spearhead of Cobra's inner-city invasion forces. This elite contingent of marauders are true masters of brutality, possessing a style of
ruthlessness no present in other Cobra soldiers. Recruited from Cobra's most diabolical combat divisions, Alley Vipers use various forms of treachery to achieve their objectives. In order to graduate from their training program, they are required to survive a full burst of machine gun fire across their frontal body armor, execute a thirty foot jump onto concrete with full combat load and run down a hundred meter gas-filled corridor without a gas mask.
The 1989 deployment of Alley Vipers are fairly unique compared to later deployments. They had the special issue Cobra street boots that were common to all Alley Vipers through 1994. However, due to Cobra's dissatisfaction with the body armored suit and vest, helmet, riot shield, and visor, Alley Viper uniforms were completely remodeled in later deployments beginning in 1993. Only the helmet for later Alley Viper troopers is similar in design to the 1989 Alley Viper. The redesign of the Alley Viper uniform has been maintained since with nearly every incarnation of the Alley Viper (this does not include the Alley Viper II deployments).
|
