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Iron Cobra

The Iron Cobra exercise for special forces is staged in the Western Desert of Egypt. The annual Joint Chiefs of Staff exercise is designed to familiarize Egyptian paratroopers with U.S. airborne operations and procedures.

Iron Cobra 84 was conducted 25 September - 5 October 1984. Iron Cobra 85 was conducted 13-24 July 1985. The 41st Air Transport/Military Airlift Squadron received laudatory comments from 21 AF/CV for a "super job" during a multiship, multi-air refueling airdrop in support of Exercise IRON COBRA '90.

Members of the U.S. Central Command's Air Force and Army components participated in Exercise Iron Cobra 97 beginning October 30, 1996. The exercise was conducted within the framework of the Defense Cooperation Agreement between Egypt and the United States. Iron Cobra 97 is an air mobility exercise designed to enhance the readiness and interoperability between U.S. and Egyptian forces. The exercise also demonstrates the United States' commitment to the security and stability of the Gulf region. The exercise took place in Egypt and involved approximately 500 U.S. Air Force and Army personnel. Iron Cobra 97 was the seventh in a series of training exercises and was scheduled to be completed by November 17, 1996. The U.S. commander for the exercise is Brig. Gen. Robert J. Winner, Individual Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of the 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces. Iron Cobra 97 was conducted under the direction of the U.S. Central Command.

The 911th Airlift Wing deployed to Egypt in 1998 to support Exercise Iron Cobra. Sixty-three reservists with Air Force Reserve Command deployed in late October 1998 to provide security for U.S. forces and aircraft taking part in Iron Cobra, a Joint Chiefs of Staff training exercise in the Middle East. The 30-day tour of duty was the Reserve's largest security forces deployment in support of an exercise, according to command officials. Four active-duty SF people from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and four active-duty military working dog handlers from various bases also supported the exercise, which features hundreds of U.S. and foreign airmen and paratroopers. Providing security for Iron Cobra is an ideal mission for reservists. Most reservists can only be away from their civilian jobs for a limited amount of time, so this 30-day deployment is well-suited for them. Most of the reservists -- 16 -- are from the 911th Security Forces Squadron, Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station. Ten reservists came from the 445th SFS, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; and the 349th Air Mobility Wing from Travis AFB, Calif., and the 514th AMW from McGuire AFB, N.J., both sent nine people. Nine other units, including the headquarters, deployed one to four people each.

Members of U.S. Central Command's U.S. Air Force component participated in Exercise Iron Cobra in Egypt from Oct. 22 to Nov. 17, 1998. The eighth in the Iron Cobra series was an air mobility field training exercise designed to enhance Egyptian defense capabilities, strengthen military-to-military relationships, and enhance interoperability and battle staff proficiency between U.S. and Egyptian armed forces. The exercise, involving approximately 400 U.S. Air Force personnel, provided an opportunity for U.S. forces to exercise with Egyptian armed forces in Egypt while demonstrating U.S. capability and commitment to the region.

The 123rd Special Tactics Flight's combat controllers were deployed with 12 soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Ky., from Oct. 30 to Nov. 18 for Operation Iron Cobra '99. C-141s assigned to the 62nd Airlift Wing provided the airlift necessary to acquaint the Egyptians with parachuting, American-style. Egyptian C-130H dropped combined American and Egyptian troops during the Iron Cobra 99 training exercise. Egypt uses 18 C-130Hs and 2 C-130H-30s in transporting missions. Personnel from the 123rd STF were assigned to CENTAF but were operationally controlled by U.S. Special Operations Command Central while in country. The last jump was a combined American and Egyptian operation, with the 123rd STF and the 5th SFG conducting a High-Altitude Low-Opening jump with the Egyptian Parachute Demonstration Team. It provided a unique opportunity to participate in a military parachute jump with a foreign army and earn the parachute wings of the elite Egyptian Airborne.