The arrival of the 4th Industrial Age compels states (or non-states) to reinterpret the character of war. They need to discard the obsolete features of 3rd Industrial Age warfare and embrace the opportunities of a coming age of war, the 4th. Those that succeed first stand to become the dominant powers of the future and have the right to set the rules that define the age, and those that do not will struggle to secure their place in the world. For Australia, there is the potential to re-establish military advantages that are declining and to safeguard its security for the future.