Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Australian Defence Force defines military capability as the ability to achieve a desired effect in a specific operating environment. This definition rests on three interdependent factors: combat readiness, sustainable capability and force structure.
Europe saw the first major arms race begin with the introduction of artillery into warfare during the Middle Ages. Later developments brought firearms onto the battlefield, altering the balance of power between nations.
A national Capabilities Development Plan seeks to provide a global understanding of capability needs and trends by identifying potential capability shortfalls before they become critical vulnerabilities during a crisis. Governments rely on these documents to align resources with strategic objectives outlined in national defence policy.
The European Union Capability Directorate focuses on Information Acquisition and Processing for knowledge gathering, Guidance Energy and Materials for engagement actions, and Environment Systems and Modelling for manoeuver decisions. These areas structure information acquisition and engagement within military operations.
Predictability remains difficult due to changing defence policies and unpredictable threat landscapes. Future decisions rely on experimentation results showing whether armed forces can meet challenges from various future scenarios.