EKO Cobra | |
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Patch of EKO Cobra
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Active | 1978–present |
Country | Austria |
Branch | Federal Ministry of the Interior |
Type | Special Forces |
Role | Domestic Law Enforcement and Counter-Terrorism |
Size | 450 operatives |
Garrison/HQ | Wiener Neustadt, Austria |
Nickname(s) | As Gendarmerieeinsatzkommando: GEK As Einsatzkommando Cobra: EKO |
EKO Cobra (Einsatzkommando Cobra) is Austria's primary counter-terrorism special operations tactical unit. It is not part of the Austrian Federal Police but is directly under the control of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.
The Einsatzkommando Cobra, formerly known as GEK (Gendarmerieeinsatzkommando) was formed in 1978, primarily as a response to the attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Its main office is in Wiener Neustadt, with sub-offices in Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior changed the unit's name from GEK to EKO Cobra in 2002.
The 450 men of EKO Cobra have trained with some of the most elite special forces units.
The EKO Cobra was involved in a hostage rescue in the Graz-Karlau Prison in 1996 and numerous other operations. Although it has never participated in the same type of hostage rescue operations that the HRT, GIGN, GIS, NSG, ERU, GSG 9 and the SAS have had, the EKO Cobra is the only Counter-Terrorism unit to end a hijacking while the plane was still in the air. On 17 October 1996, four Cobra officers were on board an Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-154 escorting deported prisoners to Lagos when a Nigerian man threatened the cockpit crew with a knife and demanded a diversion to Germany or South Africa. The team overpowered the man and handed him over to the authorities after landing. The officers received a decoration by Russian prime minister Putin.