READINESS is the sacred charge of rulers and military commanders.
God states in the Holy Qur'an: "Prepare against them (i.e. invaders) what you can of [military] power and cavalry to deter God's enemies and your enemies as well as other enemies unknown to you but known to God." (Surah al-Anfal, 8:60).
Revealed just as the Qurayshite Polytheists were launching an attack against the newly established City-State of Madinah in 624 CE, the verse above forms the basis of what Muslim theologian Imam Abu Hafs Najm al-Din al-Nasafi (d. 1142 CE) formulated in his treatise on the Islamic creed, Aqa'id al-Nasafi, as the important duty to equip armies for the purpose of defending territories and deterring enemies.
Until the advent of mechanisation in the early 20th century, the cavalry has always formed the elite fighting squadrons in Muslim armies.
With the advantages of height, speed, and psychological impact over soldiers on foot, mounted warriors enjoyed not only improved mobility, but also the ability to deliver increased damage due to greater inertial mass.
Muslim military thinkers Abu Sa'id al-Harthami (fl. c. 848 CE) and Shaykh 'Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Harawi (d. 1215 CE) discussed cavalry in their respective classic treatises, Mukhtasar fi Siyasat al-Harb (Compendium on the Management of Warfare) and Kitab al-Tadhkirah al-Harawiyyah fi al-Hiyal al-Harbiyyah (Al-Harawi's Counsel on Military Strategy).
There were squadrons and tactical subdivisions called katibah, ta'biyah, tali'ah, sariyyah and karariyyah, whose roles ranged from reconnaissance, patrol and long-distance raiding to guard duty, combat and garrison.
Today's cavalry is the fighter aircraft that patrols the skies; its warrior knight is the pilot who flies it to the danger zone at supersonic speeds, delivering payloads with surgical precision.
Recently, several defence news portals reported that bidding for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Flight Lead-in Trainer (FLIT) / Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) tender has closed early October.
While some contenders offer fairly interesting choices, other fighter types could only be kept in view due to various issues such as geopolitics, non-compliance and incompatibility.
Meanwhile, the strength of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) F-50 Golden Eagle lies in its commonality of systems, thanks to its joint development by South Korean KAI and American corporation Lockheed Martin. Its similarities with General Dynamics' F-16 Fighting Falcon could translate into the same high manoeuvrability.
This could ease the pilots' transition into air superiority fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Hornets, which RMAF currently happens to operate.
Furthermore, any defence cooperation between Malaysia and South Korea is another opportunity to further bilateral relations already established since the 1980s.
In terms of experience, RMAF has been integrating, operating, and maintaining the supermanoeuvrable Russian-made Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi SU-30 MKM fighters since 1995 and 2007, respectively.
That familiarity makes the latest MiG-35 offering by Aerospace Technology Systems a fittingly attractive package.
In spite of that, from a realist military defence perspective, Malaysia is considered to be a middle power, whose grand defence strategy must adjust accordingly with the future possibilities of a multipolar world.
Such a strategy is important as the nation strives in contributing to regional peace and security based on the Qur'anic principle: "If they (i.e. the enemy) incline towards peace, make peace with them. And put your trust in Allah. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing." (Surah al-Anfal, 8: 61).
Turkey, which is another bidder of the FLIT/LCA tender, is no stranger to Malaysia with regard to defence cooperation. As a matter of fact, the AV8 Gempita (Thunder) amphibious multirole armoured vehicle was borne out of the joint effort by Malaysian DefTech and Turkish FNSS.
While Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Hürjet is not expected to make its maiden flight until 2022, opting for it could be a step towards realising the vision of a united Muslim bloc made known two years ago at the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019.
Indeed, such a move could build self-sufficiency among members of the Muslim bloc and cultivate "close and mutually beneficial ties in order to maintain their sovereignty and resist undue foreign pressure, whether through economic or military means".
The writer is senior research officer at the Centre for Science and Environment Studies, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)