“Russia’s invasion of Crimea and its aggressive stances along Europe’s eastern borders have NATO militaries racing to rebuild their combined-arms skills — and Western defense companies revamping their product lines to suit,” according to Defense One .  

“The return of what one European business executive called ‘more traditional threats’ was reflected at Defence Security Exposition International, better known as DSEI , where armor and air-defense batteries are shouldering aside the lighter, less expensive gear of counterinsurgency.”  

“The booths and displays still proffered a hefty measure of weapons built for counterinsurgency – armored trucks, machine guns and IED jammers — but less than at the peak of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, attendees said. NATO military leaders believe this type of equipment will still be needed for the wars ahead, which are expected to feature a hybrid mix of traditional fighting and militant insurgency.”  

“European countries are also interested in long-range weapons that can fly deep into enemy territory. That, too, reflects a shift from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the lack of enemy air defenses allowed the use of simpler gravity bombs.”