Asia Defense | Security | Southeast Asia
Italy is making an unexpectedly assertive return to Southeast Asia – not through trade or development aid, but through defense diplomacy.
When Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto attended this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the visit attracted little attention in Europe. Yet Rome’s presence at Asia’s premier security forum was only one element of a broader pattern that has emerged over the past year. From expanding defense cooperation with Malaysia to Parliament’s approval of the transfer of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi to Indonesia, Italy has quietly intensified its engagement with Southeast Asia through military and industrial partnerships rather than traditional diplomacy.
The trend reflects both changing regional dynamics and Italy’s own comparative advantages. As strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asian countries are investing heavily in naval modernization, maritime surveillance, and defense industrial cooperation. While major powers dominate the region’s security architecture, middle powers have found opportunities by offering technology, training, and industrial partnerships instead of formal security guarantees. Italy appears to be embracing precisely this model.
