Established in 1972, the Austrian Gendarmerieeinzatskommando (GEK) Cobra was considered one of the most innovative and trend-setting of Europe's police counter-terrorist units. GEK Cobra is under the command of the Ministry of the Interior and the Directorate for State Security. GEK Cobra had been aggressively exploring the use of non-lethal weapons in the ending of hostage-taking and other serious criminal situations. GEK Cobra designed and developed the FX, a high-pressure water cannon that releases a powerful burst of water at the subject. It puts the subject down but does not kill. Using the FX, a Cobra officer can escalate the level of force as the situation dictates, allowing more options than when using a lethal weapon.