Cirrus Real Time Processing
Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems is an Australian defence SME that develops real-time simulation training systems and sensor processing software (ACOTS, GCS, TACEW, HCOTS, MHSS, SAFE) primarily for the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force, with growing export to allied forces.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersSurry Hills, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cirrus Real Time Processing does
Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems is an Australian defence technology company founded in 1996 and headquartered in Surry Hills, NSW. It develops real-time software for simulation training and sensor processing, supplied primarily to the Australian Defence Force (Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force) and increasingly to international defence customers via partners. Its core product lines are simulation training systems built on proprietary foundation technologies (Simulation Training Network and Sensor Simulation Engine), specifically the Air Combat Officer Training System (ACOTS), Generic COMCEN Simulator (GCS), Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TACEW), Helicopter Control Officer Training System (HCOTS), and Mine Hunting Simulation System (MHSS). A parallel sensor processing portfolio includes DeLTA (sonar spectral analysis), CoLT (underwater contact localisation), SAFE (multi-sensor data fusion, recognised as a Priority Industry Capability), Arbiter PAD System (bandwidth optimisation for unmanned sensors), ATAT (air track pattern analysis), and Battery Manager Application for submarine vulnerability reduction.
Underlying technology is developed under ISO9001 quality management, and Cirrus holds Authorised Engineering Organisation status granted by the RAAF Directorate General Technical Airworthiness for ACOTS, plus a US patent on an electronic counter-measures technique. The company monetises through one-time licence sales of simulation systems and multi-year engineering support, help-desk, and software/hardware maintenance services, with contract extensions typically spanning 2-3 years. Additional revenue comes from Defence Innovation Hub, PICIP, and RPDE R&D contracts. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct engagement with Defence procurement offices (DMO/TASPO), supported by prime subcontractor relationships (Jet Aviation Australia, Raytheon Australia) and export through local defence partners (Prism Defence, Aerodata AG). Marketing relies on participation in international defence exhibitions (IDEX, Singapore Airshow, Pacific Maritime Exposition) and government/ministerial announcements. The company remains privately held and founder-led under Managing Director Peter Freed.
Cirrus Real Time Processing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cirrus Real Time Processing
- Legal name
- Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://cirrusrtps.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems is an Australian defence SME that develops real-time simulation training systems and sensor processing software (ACOTS, GCS, TACEW, HCOTS, MHSS, SAFE) primarily for the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force, with growing export to allied forces.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cirrus Real Time Processing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Defence Simulation Software
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Modeling, Simulation, Digital Twins & Mission Rehearsal Systems (IMABAOAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Military Operations & Force Readiness (BPAIAHAA), Avionics Test, Simulation & Calibration Equipment (IMABAFAN), Military Avionics, Mission Computers & Flight Controls (IMABAMAE)
Keywords
Where Cirrus Real Time Processing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Surry Hills
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cirrus Real Time Processing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Defence Simulation Systems: Supply of simulation training systems (ACOTS, GCS, TACEW, HCOTS, MHSS) to Australian Defence Force and export customers. Includes initial development, installation, and integration services.
- Support Services: Ongoing engineering support, help-desk, software support, hardware maintenance, and functionality evolution services for supplied systems. Contract extensions typically span 2-3 years.
- R&D Contracts: Defence Innovation Hub contracts, PICIP grants, and RPDE contracts for development of new technologies including Electronic Warfare sensors and SAFE fusion suite.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Cirrus Real Time Processing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems designs, develops and supplies real-time software-based simulation training systems and sensor processing technologies for military and defence applications. Core offerings include Air Combat Officer Training System (ACOTS), Generic COMCEN Simulator (GCS), Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TACEW), Helicopter Control Officer Training System (HCOTS) and Mine Hunting Simulation System (MHSS) for defence customers, complemented by sensor processing products (DeLTA, CoLT, SAFE) and bespoke military software development under ISO9001.
Product overview
Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems is an Australian defence technology company providing a portfolio of simulation training systems and sensor processing technologies for military applications. The core product lines include simulation systems for air combat (ACOTS), communications (GCS), electronic warfare (TACEW), helicopter control (HCOTS), and mine hunting (MHSS), all built on proprietary foundation technologies including the Simulation Training Network (STN) and Sensor Simulation Engine (SSE). Complementary products include DeLTA for sonar analysis, CoLT for track localisation, and SAFE for sensor fusion. The company also develops specialized military software and holds significant intellectual property including registered patents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air Combat Officer Training System (ACOTS) High-fidelity simulation training system for Royal Australian Air Force Air Combat Officer students, developing skills in sensor awareness, tactical communications, tactical picture compilation and engagement, incorporating high-fidelity radar simulation with terrain features and synthetic contacts.
- Generic COMCEN Simulator (GCS) End-to-end training simulation for Royal Australian Navy Communications Centre (COMCEN) operators covering antennae, receivers, transmitters, multiplexers, modems, cryptographic equipment and COMCEN management software.
- Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TACEW) End-to-end simulation training system for Royal Australian Navy Major Fleet Unit Electronic Warfare operators, simulating naval EW suites including antennae, receivers, spectral analysers, countermeasures controllers, and common operating picture suites.
- Helicopter Control Officer Training System (HCOTS) Naval Helicopter Control Officer training simulation developed with Prism Defence, featuring high-fidelity radar integrated to a simulated naval combat control system with scenario-controlled entities and instructor-controlled contacts.
- Mine Hunting Simulation System (MHSS) Sonar operator training simulation for Royal Australian Navy Mine Warfare Faculty (HMAS Waterhen) incorporating high-fidelity underwater environment simulation, Thales 2093 sonar imaging, and emulation of the BAE Systems Nautis Tactical Data System for Command Team Training.
- DeLTA (Demon/Lofar Tactical Analysis) Real-time spectral analysis, sonar classification and localisation system deployed across the Royal Australian Navy Submarine Squadron, providing LOFAR and DEMON analysis with harmonic, Lloyd's mirror, Doppler cursors and networked instructor-student configurations.
- CoLT (Contact Localisation Tool) Track localisation library that accounts for complexities of the underwater medium, processing bearing and Doppler measurements to assess contact track dynamics and identify direct/indirect ray paths with non-linear ray propagation effects.
- SAFE (Sensor Association and Fusion Engine) Multi-sensor data fusion technology that enables larger association problems to be managed from available computer hardware, producing composite tactical pictures from multiple sensor sources.
- Arbiter PAD System (APS) Unmanned sensor system technology that maximises bandwidth utilisation by applying dynamically varying imagery compression across limited-bandwidth communications links in unmanned sensor systems.
- Air Track Analysis Tool (ATAT) Software that processes large archives of historical air track data to identify repeating patterns of aircraft behaviour, supporting classification and real-time intelligence analysis.
- Battery Manager Application (BMA) Submarine battery management technology that minimises platform vulnerability during battery charging operations through dynamic replanning to avert counter-detection.
- Military Software Development Services Development services for military-grade software including data acquisition systems, sensor surveillance systems, recording systems, systems integration software and communications applications, delivered under ISO9001 quality management.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully delivered ACOTS to RAAF School of Air Warfare in operational service since 2011
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cirrus Real Time Processing
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cirrus Real Time Processing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability7 records
Feature7 records
Cirrus Real Time Processing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Aerodata AGcoreCirrus delivered ACOTS to Aerodata AG's facility in Braunschweig, Germany. Cirrus adapted ACOTS to simulate surveillance sensors fitted to Aerodata's airborne maritime surveillance aircraft and integrated ACOTS to the AeroMission suite used to manage sensors within surveillance missions.
- Jet Aviation AustraliacoreCirrus has been subcontracted to Jet Aviation Australia (formerly Hawker Pacific) for support services related to ACOTS. Jet Aviation Australia acts as the prime contractor for simulation training support services to RAAF Air Mission Training School.
- Rapid Prototyping Development and Evaluation (RPDE)majorCirrus Managing Director Peter Freed accepted appointment to the Board of RPDE, a Defence and Industry collaborative organisation charged with answering difficult Defence capability issues. Cirrus has received multiple contracts under RPDE programmes.
- Prism DefencecoreCirrus developed the Helicopter Control Officer Training System (HCOTS) in close collaboration with Prism Defence, who are recognised as the experts in naval rotary wing systems. Prism Defence awarded the contract to Cirrus for supply of HCOTS for use in training Helicopter Control Officers with a regional navy.
- Raytheon AustraliacoreCirrus was awarded the Raytheon Australia Capability Partner Award recognising highly capable SME. Cirrus was included as part of Raytheon Australia's team for the $297M Woomera Weapons Range remediation contract alongside Daronmont Systems and CEA technologies.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cirrus Real Time Processing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- BAE Systems Australia: Provides combat system integration for the RAN, including the Nautis Tactical Data System that Cirrus emulates in MHSS. Comparable as a defence prime whose platforms define the training requirements Cirrus addresses.
Broad incumbents
- Saab Australia: Provides naval combat system integration and training solutions to the Royal Australian Navy. Comparable to Cirrus as a supplier of maritime training and EW-adjacent systems, with the scale and incumbency to absorb smaller simulation niches.
- Thales Australia: Major defence prime in Australia supplying sonar (e.g. 2093 used in Cirrus' MHSS), EW and training systems. Comparable as the supplier of the underlying platforms that Cirrus simulates and as a competitor for larger integrated training contracts.
- CAE: Global leader in defence and civil aviation simulation and training. Comparable to Cirrus as the dominant incumbent in mission training systems, with broader portfolios across air, naval and land domains that compete for larger ADF and export simulation opportunities.
- Raytheon Australia: Major US-aligned defence prime with significant Australian operations and a long-standing partner relationship with Cirrus (Capability Partner Award, Woomera teaming). Comparable as the prime contractor whose programs both enable and potentially compete with Cirrus' simulation work.
- Kongsberg Maritime: Supplies sonar processing, underwater sensors and naval training systems globally. Comparable to Cirrus' sonar analysis (DeLTA), localisation (CoLT) and mine-hunting simulation (MHSS) offerings, particularly for naval customers.
- Ultra Electronics: UK-based provider of maritime, sonar and EW systems with deep naval sensor expertise. Comparable to Cirrus' undersea sensor processing and EW training lines, with broader portfolio and global reach.
Direct peers
- Prism Defence: Australian defence SME and Cirrus' development partner on the Helicopter Control Officer Training System (HCOTS), and the channel through which Cirrus reached a regional navy export customer. Comparable as a sovereign Australian SME focused on naval rotary-wing training systems.
- CEA Technologies: Australian defence SME specialising in radar and electronic warfare systems. Comparable as a fellow sovereign Australian defence SME working in radar/EW and named alongside Cirrus on the Raytheon Woomera team.
- Daronmont Systems: Australian defence SME specialising in simulation, training and command/control systems for the ADF. Most directly comparable to Cirrus as a fellow sovereign SME in defence simulation, and named alongside Cirrus on the Raytheon Australia Woomera Weapons Range team.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cirrus Real Time Processing social profiles
Digital presenceCirrus Real Time Processing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cirrus Real Time Processing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cirrus Real Time Processing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cirrus Real Time Processing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cirrus Real Time Processing
What does Cirrus Real Time Processing do?
Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems designs, develops and supplies real-time software-based simulation training systems and sensor processing technologies for military and defence applications. Core offerings include Air Combat Officer Training System (ACOTS), Generic COMCEN Simulator (GCS), Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TACEW), Helicopter Control Officer Training System (HCOTS) and Mine Hunting Simulation System (MHSS) for defence customers, complemented by sensor processing products (DeLTA, CoLT, SAFE) and bespoke military software development under ISO9001.
Is Cirrus Real Time Processing a public or private company?
Cirrus Real Time Processing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cirrus Real Time Processing founded?
Cirrus Real Time Processing was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cirrus Real Time Processing based?
Cirrus Real Time Processing is headquartered in Surry Hills, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Cirrus Real Time Processing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Defence Simulation Systems are the primary driver. The others are support Services and R&D Contracts.
Who are Cirrus Real Time Processing's main competitors?
BAE Systems Australia is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Saab Australia, Thales Australia, CAE, Raytheon Australia, Kongsberg Maritime and Ultra Electronics. Direct peers are Prism Defence, CEA Technologies and Daronmont Systems.
Does Cirrus Real Time Processing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cirrus Real Time Processing.
What industry is Cirrus Real Time Processing in?
Cirrus Real Time Processing's product category is Defence Simulation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAOAL, Modeling, Simulation, Digital Twins & Mission Rehearsal Systems, with a secondary code of BPAIAHAA, Military Operations & Force Readiness. Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.