How Cold War Firearms Shaped Modern Military Tactics

"Many of the tactics used by modern militaries were forged long before today's conflicts ever began. During the Cold War, firearms were designed with an eye toward deterrence and large-scale war, but they ended up shaping how real battles were fought in proxy wars and beyond. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at Cold War firearms and how they influenced modern tactics."

"Why Are We Covering This? Modern military tactics were shaped deliberately during the Cold War, a period defined by preparation, deterrence, and constant doctrinal experimentation. Firearms developed in this era were designed not just to equip soldiers, but to support specific ways of fighting, from squad-level autonomy to dispersed maneuver and sustained firepower. By examining how Cold War firearms influenced tactics that are still in use today, this article explains why modern infantry fights the way it does and how weapons built for a conflict that never fully occurred ended up defining real wars that followed."

"Preparing for a War That Never Came The Cold War reshaped modern warfare even without a direct, full-scale fight between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Both sides planned for a massive conventional conflict in Europe, built around readiness, deterrence, and rapid mobilization. That preparation created a constant feedback loop between doctrine and equipment, especially at the infantry level. In many ways, modern tactics were forged in the shadow of a war that never fully came-through planning, training, and weapons built for a battlefield everyone expected."

Firearms developed during the Cold War prioritized deterrence, rapid mobilization, and preparedness for a large-scale NATO–Warsaw Pact conflict. Designers emphasized sustained firepower, reliability, and features that enabled squad-level autonomy and dispersed maneuver. Those weapon designs shaped tactics used in proxy wars and later conflicts, as soldiers adapted equipment for real combat. Doctrine and equipment formed a continuous feedback loop, especially at the infantry level. Many modern infantry practices, including distributed small-unit operations and emphasis on sustained, mobile fire, trace origins to Cold War-era weapon requirements and training. Training, procurement, and doctrine all reflected the weapons' intended battlefield roles.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.