This article provides an evaluation of studies on maritime security in the Italian Republic, as well as an initial interpretative framework. Specifically, it highlights the shift from a national maritime security model to an international/supranational model, which is typical of postmodern states. This shift is the result of the Italian maritime sector’s transformation during the Cold War. This transition was driven by globalisation and the sector’s integration into economic and military systems such as the EEC/EU and NATO.