It's the military commander's version of a grand chessboard, combined with a supercharged video game and potentially deadly consequences.

Imagine an attack drone hovering silently overhead and trained on a target, warships on the water, submarines beneath, jet fighters screeching overhead and heavy artillery on land - all watched from far above by a satellite orbiting in space, and each one beaming back live video and sensor readings to a command centre.

A F-35 stealth fighter; Trump vowed to spend more on defence if elected.

And on this modern battlefield, the commander must decide who is ready and in the best position to strike.

Designing sophisticated computer software to help direct attacks will be one of the goals of a new high-tech laboratory to be opened later this year in Melbourne.