Operation Snake Eater

Operation Snake Eater commenced August 30th, 1964, one week after the Virtuous Mission.

Its objectives were the recovery of Sokolov, the destruction of the newly developed Shagohod, and the elimination of The Boss, who had defected to the Soviet Union.

Charged with atoning for the failure of the Virtuous Mission, the onus once more fell upon the FOX Unit. Naked Snake began his infiltration of Soviet territory propelled via drone from a high altitude.

The secret dealings of American and the Soviet Union set the background for this mission.

When secret design bureau OKB-754 was hit with a nuclear strike, the Soviet government blamed America, based on their detection of the intrusion of a Combat Talon transport plane, the FOX Unit's aerial headquarters, into Soviet airspace during the Virtuous Mission. The bomb used was the American-developed recoil-less miniature nuclear warhead "Davy Crockett".

American officials maintained that it was the renegade act of The Boss who had defected. The Soviet Union then demanded that the American government eliminate The Boss to prove its innocence.

If they did not, the Soviet Union threatened to shift from a Cold War to an active combat stance. In order to prevent World War III, America had no choice but to offer up The Boss as a sacrifice.

The Soviet government under Khrushchev promised to support the operation by sending in ADAM, a former-NSA spy for the KGB. The government reported to Naked Snake on the actions of Colonel Volgin of the GRU (under Brezhnev) who had abducted Sokolov.

The American government's true aim in Operation Snake Eater was to secure the Philosophers' Legacy, then under Colonel Volgin's control. During the 1964 Virtuous Mission, the US had staged The Boss's defection and put her in contact with Volgin in hopes of securing the Philosophers' Legacy. As a result of the ensuing political imbroglio, however, The Boss was forced to offer up her own life.

The Boss was prepared to die at the hands of the US government's agent, Naked Snake. Operation Snake Eater consisted of The Boss trading her life in exchange for America's political pardon and the acquisition of a massive cache of funds. Though Naked Snake successfully secured the Philosophers' Legacy, the director of the CIA reported the mission as a failure to the government, and retained the funds himself.