Idea is a political experiment to be more proactive and show more aggression. With the rise of autonomous robotic threats and corporate espionage, the unit is formed to make cooperation simpler and support member states that do not have the means to handle rapid emergencies.
Equipment consists mostly of hand-me-downs and surpluses from it's patrons, so big upgrades are going to be up to the generosity of it's members, political/strategic achievements, or having the funds to purchase new equipment. A 6.8 is going to be better than a 9mm bullet against very hard targets.