Notes to the New CNO Series

By Captain Renato Scarfi, (Italian Navy, Ret.) and Captain Gian Carlo Poddighe (Italian Navy, Ret.)

Today, the new global order imposes a different vision of alliances. On the Western side, we are experiencing a temporary crisis of the values of transatlantic ties due to the political winds swaying, typical of democratic systems. But the idea of having achieved the conditions for an irreversible peace has unfortunately faded in the face of entrenched rivalries and strongly divisive attitudes. In this context, to be effective in the new world order, alliances must be global as a demonstration of shared will to achieve common well-being and prosperity. The naval instrument is a powerful tool for manifesting shared will and projecting influence, and the theater where this will be most effective is the Indo-Pacific. The main competition will take place in those waters, and marks an opportunity for the U.S. Navy to strengthen its naval cooperation with Europe.

A Western presence in the Indo-Pacific will be essential for our well-being and will be the true key to commercial and energy survival, particularly for the southern European countries. They are strategically vital for the balance of the Euro-Mediterranean region and to counter the growing Chinese influence on African territory. It will also be critical for containing the increasing Chinese maritime presence and claims in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and North Africa, which currently sees the development of numerous maritime initiatives concentrated along those coasts, up to the Atlantic coasts of Morocco.

In this context, the Indian Ocean holds strategic importance, being both the key to maintaining freedom of navigation and trade to and from the Far East, as well as the route along which energy travels and investments develop. Maritime presence in the Indian Ocean is therefore not a possibility but an obligation, which should see a convergence of interest from NATO European countries. This should include cooperation with India, a democratic country that has historical tensions with China.

The U.S. Navy can help serve as a catalyst for this kind of naval presence. A permanent European naval presence in the Indian Ocean should be of extreme interest to the U.S. Navy, which could free up U.S. naval forces to better focus on the Pacific, in conjunction with Japan, South Korea, Australia and other allies. Equipped with aircraft carriers and capable of projecting power, European countries could strive to establish a permanent presence in the Indian Ocean and serve as a deterrent against assertive rivals. The Italian Navy, besides a longstanding presence in the area, can add over 20 years of experience from the VRMTC (Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre), a system that collects maritime domain awareness data for over half the Atlantic, the whole Persian Gulf, and even the Indian Ocean.

The U.S. Navy and its Pacific allies can promote cooperation with European navies in Indo-Pacific theater. It can mark a catalyst that mobilizes and focuses Western resources while improving burden sharing. This initiative will strengthen our friendship and naval cooperation, and will represent a key factor in strengthening deterrence.

Captain Renato Scarfi (Ret.) joined the Italian Naval Academy in 1977. As LTJG he attended the U.S. Navy Pilot Training Program in Pensacola and Corpus Christi where he gained the Navy Wings for multi-engine fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. After the Staff Officer Course in Leghorn (Italy) he served in the Defence General Staff, the Navy General Staff (Plans and Policy), the Joint Operation Headquarters (JOHQ) as Head of Crisis management section, and the Cabinet of the MOD as Senior Military Assistant of the Diplomatic Advisor of the Minister. He has two Master’s Degrees in International Relations and in Maritime Strategies and a Second Level Master Degree in International anti-terrorism. 

Captain Gian Carlo Poddighe (Ret.) is a former Italian Navy officer who has served in the Navy research center, in shipbuilding programs, and conducted cooperation activities with foreign navies in Italy and abroad. He has been a member of  commissions of international organizations (ONU, BID, CELAC, CAF, AEC/CSO). He is a magazine and newspaper columnist, in The Independent, Diario de las Americas, El Globo, G.d.I. and others.

Featured Image: PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 9, 2024) Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and Cavour Carrier Strike Group sail in formation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Daniel Kimmelman)