The first successful tests were conducted in 1956, with the West German government placing an initial order for 2,000 missiles in January 1957.

The Mamba was introduced in 1972 and improved the guidance system, and added a dual thrust motor with an initial low power launch mode, followed by a higher powered sustainer which allows the missile to be gathered more easily during the initial seconds of flight.

It was exported to Argentina, Brazil, Chile (Mamba), Denmark, Greece, Israel, India, Pakistan, Spain and Turkey.

The Pakistani Army was the first to use the Cobra missiles in combat during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 at the Battle of Chawinda; Cobra missiles assisted C squadron of Pakistan's 25th Cavalry brigade in repulsing an attack by the Centurion tanks of the Poona Horse.

[1] A Cobra missile also reportedly caused the tank of a squadron commander Major Bhupinder Singh to burst into flames.