In Cheap tanks but costly deal , EW has rightly drawn our attention to one very important point which might have been overlooked by the government — how to integrate the 64 expensive Polish tanks into the existing force and weaponry infrastructure and the C4I (communication, control, command, computering and intelligence) system? The government must seriously look into the question raised.

Similarly, the defence and security authorities should also seriously weigh if the Polish made tanks suit our climatic and soil conditions. There is also the question of physical size — are the tanks built for the stature of our army personnel?

More importantly, I think HZ is not wrong in his letter Tanks to fight what war? in questioning whether there is a need for such a huge amount of combat tanks for our army. At this point, I must point out that EW is not right in equating ground force with tanks.

All countries certainly need ground force to win battles and wars. HZ did not discount that. But whether ground forces should be supported more with land-based tanks, or with air and sea power ultimately depends on the geo-strategic settings.

I think HZ is right in differentiating Poland in the largely land-based European theatre from our maritime environment. Malaysia needs more resource allocation for the air and sea powers not only as independent fighting forces, but also as force-multipliers for our infantry (ground force).

Also, Malaysia needs to invest more money in transforming our ground force into one which is capable of fighting a 'third wave' war based on knowledge and information.

It means we have to spend more money in providing technical education to upgrade our armies which were trained in only counter-insurgency skirmishes in jungles with low-technology communist insurgents.