The Italian Navy: acting Nationally, Focusing Regionally, Envisioning Globally

摘要

The 21st century is progressively showing several instability factors that are increasingly raising the possible inception of local crises whose features may drastically affect the entire political, economic and financial system on a worldwide scale. Indeed, the continuing strong demographic growth, mostly centred on Asia and Africa, associated with a massive increase of economic production are inevitably generating stiff competition for energy and natural resources, as well as other collateral phenomena, such as unpredictable climate changes, severe pollution and human migration to escape from conflicts, violence and poverty. This scenario is gradually shifting the geo political and economic centre of gravity towards the maritime environment, as confirmed by the relocation of the World's growing population to coastal areas, by the increasing dependence of the general economy on de-localised production that requires a massive employment of maritime transportation and by the rising exploitation of underwater resources and marine energy. Under these premises, the International Community is beginning to heighten its attention towards the territorialisation of the seas and, owing to the need to manage several other factors like water scarcity and environmental pollution, is increasingly emphasising the importance to secure the oceans, to safeguard the free use of the Sea Lines Of Communication (SLOC) and to ensure the possibility to influence "from the sea" events on land through various types of humanitarian, disaster relief and military operations.