ABSTRACT
The United States’ Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI) is part of the US defence transformation process and the new sea basing strategy. The RMSI is politically wrapped in terms of preventing terrorism and piracy, but is part of a much larger transformation of US forward presence. The transformation of US sea power – the Sea Power 21 Concept – aims to transform US grand strategy, and precedes the RMSI introduced in 2004. This chapter, however, will explore the ways in which the RMSI is one element of US adaptation of a grand strategy in Southeast Asia.
