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Don’t compare tactical software only by what appears on the map. Compare what it does to the network underneath it.
Many tactical applications can display symbols, tracks, messages and overlays. The harder question is what happens when bandwidth is limited, links are intermittent, sites are separated, infrastructure fails, or the bearer simply cannot support continuous network-wide replication.
IRIS is an Australian-developed tactical command, control, communications, mapping and common operating picture platform designed specifically for disconnected, disrupted, intermittent and limited-bandwidth environments.
Its core architecture is local-first, decentralised and peer-to-peer. A central IRIS application server is not required for core IRIS operation.
If those questions matter to your deployment, IRIS is worth testing on your actual network.
IRIS approach: Decentralised, peer-to-peer and server-optional
Why it matters: Core collaboration does not depend on a central IRIS application server remaining reachable.
IRIS approach: Local and wider-network distribution, clusters, sites, gateways and bridges
Why it matters: Traffic can be kept close to the users who need it instead of treating every participant as one flat network.
IRIS approach: IRIS SITE-SYNC uses state-aware synchronisation and delta recovery where applicable
Why it matters: Returning or joining sites can recover operational state without making repeated full-picture replication the default behaviour.
IRIS approach: Designed for tactical IP radios, MANETs, WAN, SATCOM and specialist bridge links
Why it matters: The application can be shaped around the bearer rather than assuming data-centre-quality connectivity.
IRIS approach: Multicast, unicast, Protobuf, CoT, NMEA, serial, TCP, UDP and plugin/extension pathways
Why it matters: Existing sensors, radios and adjacent systems can be integrated without making one external protocol an architectural dependency.
IRIS approach: IRIS Headless Gateway provides a controlled integration point to AI services
Why it matters: AI can be introduced at an edge or gateway node without requiring every tactical endpoint to connect directly to an AI service.
IRIS approach: Offline mapping, local persistence and peer-to-peer collaboration
Why it matters: Useful capability remains available when Internet or enterprise services are unavailable.
IRIS approach: Desktop Extension SDK plus Android Plugin API
Why it matters: Customers and partners can add mission-specific capability without modifying the IRIS core.
IRIS is not designed on the assumption that bandwidth is free.
Its network architecture supports peer-to-peer communications, multicast and unicast distribution, local and global information pathways, site/network bridging, QoS/traffic marking, interface-bound communications and optional gateway roles.
IRIS SITE-SYNC extends this approach between sites. Rather than treating every site as one continuously replicated broadcast domain, IRIS can compare state, recover deltas where appropriate and converge information locally. This is particularly important when a higher-bandwidth local network is connected to another site through a much more constrained tactical bearer.
The design goal is simple: move the operational information that is needed, where it is needed, while avoiding unnecessary traffic across the links that are hardest to replace.
The IRIS Headless Gateway allows deployed IRIS networks to connect to AI services through a controlled edge integration point. This creates a pathway for AI-assisted summarisation, information extraction, analysis, decision support and mission-specific workflows while preserving the existing IRIS peer-to-peer tactical architecture.
The result is an architecture in which AI can support the tactical network without becoming a prerequisite for ordinary IRIS operation.
IRIS is available for Windows, Linux, macOS and Android. The current Windows licensing workflow supports a complimentary six-month evaluation licence, giving organisations an opportunity to assess IRIS on their own devices, radios, networks and operational workflows.
Download IRIS and compare the network behaviour, not just the screen.
Windows users may see a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen or Windows Security warning when installing IRIS.
This may appear as a “Windows protected your PC” or “Unknown publisher” message. This warning can occur when installing software that Windows has not yet established sufficient reputation for and does not, by itself, mean that the application contains malicious software.
If you downloaded IRIS using the official NeoPlexus download link on this page, it is safe to continue with the installation. If Windows SmartScreen displays the warning:
If the installer was obtained from another website, forwarded by another person, or you are unsure of its source, do not proceed. Download a fresh copy using the official NeoPlexus link below.
IRIS provides mapping, live situational awareness, tactical messaging, operational reports, file transfer, video and metadata integration, track management, tactical overlays, network bridging and extensible third-party integration within a local-first, decentralised architecture.
IRIS does not require a central application server for its core decentralised functionality. IRIS nodes can exchange operational information directly across available tactical networks while still interoperating with server-based systems, routers, gateways and other supporting infrastructure where operationally appropriate.
The Android version of IRIS is available for direct download and installation.
Before installing IRIS for Android, we recommend downloading and reading the IRIS Android Installation Guide.
The guide provides information to assist with downloading, installing and configuring IRIS on a compatible Android device.
Android Mapping Note:
The default map supplied with IRIS for Android is an offline map, allowing mapping to remain available when the device has no network or Internet connectivity. If suitable connectivity is available, users should enable an online map within IRIS to take advantage of online mapping services.
The Windows, Linux and macOS versions of IRIS include a modular plugin/extension framework that allows additional functionality to be added without requiring third-party developers to modify the IRIS core application.
Using the IRIS Extension SDK for Windows, Linux and macOS , NeoPlexus, customers, research organisations, industry partners and other third-party developers can create their own IRIS plugins/extensions for specialised operational requirements.
For developers familiar with extensible tactical software platforms, an IRIS plugin/extension provides a clean way to add capability, integrations and workflows without making that functionality part of the core application.
Plugins/extensions can be used to provide capabilities such as:
IRIS plugins/extensions use versioned application interfaces and permission-controlled services. This allows a plugin/extension to request access only to the IRIS capabilities it requires, while keeping the IRIS core application and plugin/extension implementation separated.
Plugins/extensions can also contribute operator interface components such as map tools, map callouts, settings pages, side panels and other workflow controls.
Customers are free to develop their own IRIS plugins/extensions for the Windows, Linux and macOS versions of IRIS.
A customer-developed or third-party plugin/extension does not require a separate NeoPlexus plugin/extension licence merely because it uses the IRIS Extension API. A valid licence for the underlying IRIS application is still required.
Selected plugins/extensions developed and supplied commercially by NeoPlexus may have their own licence entitlement where applicable.
The IRIS Extension SDK for Windows, Linux and macOS provides developers with the interfaces, packaging model, examples and guidance required to develop plugins/extensions for the IRIS desktop architecture. Contact NeoPlexus for access to the current SDK or to discuss an integration requirement.
Android Plugin Development:
IRIS for Android uses a separate Android Plugin API and development model. Developers wishing to extend the Android version should refer to the IRIS Android Plugin API Guide and the available Android Example Plugins provided in the IRIS for Android section above.
IRIS uses Esri ArcGIS technology to provide a comprehensive tactical geospatial environment supporting 2D and true 3D mapping, online and offline map sources, imagery, vector data, elevation, routing, live feeds and tactical overlays.
ArcGIS dictionary-based military symbology enables IRIS to display MIL-STD-2525D symbols, tactical graphics and military control measures directly within the operational map environment.
IRIS can be supplied with configured ArcGIS credentials and also allows an organisation or operator to provide their own ArcGIS API key and ArcGIS Runtime licence where required.
IRIS supports online map services and dedicated offline map packages. Operators can use mission-specific mapping while completely disconnected and take advantage of online services whenever suitable connectivity is available.
This supports always-connected, occasionally-connected and fully disconnected geospatial workflows consistent with IRIS operation in disconnected, disrupted, intermittent and limited-bandwidth environments.
IRIS can ingest and display operational geospatial data including:
IRIS includes a suite of map tools for tactical planning and situational awareness, including:
IRIS supports the creation, editing, movement, deletion and sharing of MIL-STD-2525D tactical symbols, graphics and military control measures.
Operators can create tactical overlays locally, edit them before transmission, retain them as part of mission data and distribute relevant operational information to other IRIS nodes where required.
The symbology and tactical overlay environment includes:
IRIS can receive and display position location information and situational awareness data from multiple sources.
Core and configured data pathways include:
Additional tactical data interfaces are available through optional NeoPlexus plugins/extensions. These include:
Contact NeoPlexus if one of these interfaces is required for an IRIS deployment, demonstration or integration activity.
IRIS includes a track correlation engine that assists operators in managing live entities reported by multiple independent sources.
This is particularly valuable where the same real-world entity may be reported by several systems, or where different entities may appear similar because of duplicate callsigns, bridged networks or incomplete source identity information.
The track engine supports:
This allows operators to correct ambiguous or conflicting operational identity information without replacing the original source data.
IRIS supports geofences and areas of interest for monitoring operational events and locations.
Geofences and AOIs may be based on:
Geofences can be associated with tracked entities and operational events, allowing tactical graphics to provide operational relevance in addition to visual map context.
IRIS supports mission video playback and network video streams, including UAV, platform and other sensor feeds where appropriate metadata is available.
Where supported by the source stream, IRIS can process MISB/KLV metadata to correlate video with the operational map.
Video capabilities include:
This enables operators to understand not only the video image, but also where the sensor is located, where it is looking and the area on the ground represented by the video.
IRIS includes tactical communications tools for peer-to-peer collaboration. Operational messages are locally persisted to support review, retrieval and post-activity use.
Messaging capabilities include:
IRIS messaging is designed for tactical network operation and does not depend on an Internet email service for node-to-node operational messaging.
IRIS supports interoperability with adjacent tactical systems and data formats where configured.
Current core and configured integration areas include:
Additional interoperability capabilities available through optional NeoPlexus plugins/extensions include:
These plugins/extensions are available on request from NeoPlexus and can be provided where the relevant interoperability requirement forms part of an IRIS deployment or integration activity.
TAK interoperability is an IRIS capability rather than an architectural dependency. IRIS can operate independently while exchanging relevant information with TAK environments where required.
IRIS is designed around decentralised, peer-to-peer operation.
Core IRIS functionality does not require a central application server. IRIS can operate across existing IP, radio and tactical network infrastructure and can interoperate with server-based or enterprise systems where required.
Network capabilities include:
IRIS SITE-SYNC is designed to reduce unnecessary site-to-site replication across constrained links.
Separate IRIS sites can maintain their local peer-to-peer operation while designated gateway/site-master functions coordinate the operational state that needs to move between sites.
Where the receiving site is already current, unnecessary payload can be avoided. Where a returning site is behind, delta recovery can be used to bring it back into alignment. A genuinely new site can receive the operational state required to establish its picture, after which normal local distribution resumes within that site.
This model is particularly useful when high-bandwidth local tactical networks are connected through lower-bandwidth radio, WAN, SATCOM or other specialist bearers. The objective is to avoid treating every network segment as one continuously chatty broadcast domain.
IRIS Headless Gateway provides a lightweight IRIS gateway capability that can operate without the full IRIS operator interface. It is intended for deployment on gateway, edge-compute or supporting network nodes where IRIS connectivity and integration services are required without a dedicated operator workstation.
The Headless Gateway can participate in the existing IRIS decentralised network architecture and provide a controlled integration point between deployed IRIS nodes and external services. This includes the ability to link IRIS environments to AI capabilities where suitable connectivity, security policy and operational configuration permit.
Rather than requiring every deployed IRIS node to connect directly to an AI service, a designated Headless Gateway can act as the integration point. This allows AI-enabled services to be introduced while preserving the existing IRIS middleware, peer-to-peer networking and tactical data-distribution model.
Potential uses include AI-assisted analysis, summarisation, operator decision support, information extraction and other mission-specific services exposed through an approved gateway architecture. The AI service remains an optional supporting capability and is not required for normal IRIS operation.
Gateway Plugin Examples Included:
The Headless Gateway download includes two plugin concepts supplied with source code to assist developers and integrators with initial implementation and extension work:
Both examples are intended as development starting points rather than fixed end-state integrations. They can be extended, adapted or used as reference implementations for additional protocols, sensors, gateways and mission-specific data interfaces.
IRIS Desktop AI Interaction Example:
A separate IRIS Desktop plugin example is also available to demonstrate how an IRIS Desktop node can interact with the AI capability exposed through the Headless Gateway. This plugin is provided only as a development-assistance example and is intended to help developers understand and extend the Desktop-to-Gateway AI interaction model. It should be treated as a starting point for further development, integration, security hardening and mission-specific workflows rather than as a finished operational AI solution.
Download the IRIS Desktop AI Interaction Plugin Example
Download the IRIS Headless Gateway
The IRIS plugin/extension architecture allows specialised communications bearers to be integrated without turning those bearers into a dependency for ordinary IRIS nodes.
This can include tactical radio interfaces, MANET systems, serial devices, specialist gateways and constrained-bandwidth bridge systems.
An optional IRIS plugin/extension supports WinIDM and MIL-STD-188-220 bridge concepts for connecting separate IRIS sites across suitable specialist bearers.
The integration is intended primarily for designated bridge or gateway nodes. The local IRIS environment continues to use the normal decentralised architecture, while the bridge carries the required site-to-site middleware traffic through WinIDM and the configured MIL-STD-188-220 network.
This provides a pathway for connecting IRIS sites over bearers such as appropriate IW, DAMA or other configured tactical links without requiring every IRIS workstation to interface directly with WinIDM.
Contact NeoPlexus if this plugin/extension is required for a deployment or demonstration.
IRIS includes tools to support tactical radio and MANET planning and troubleshooting.
Capabilities include:
This assists operators and planners where network performance is affected by terrain, antenna placement, bearer type, relay position or other environmental factors.
The current Windows version of IRIS includes a straightforward licensing workflow.
On initial installation, a user can begin with provisional evaluation access and can then choose to:
Licence requests are generated by IRIS as an .irisreq file and can be sent to NeoPlexus. NeoPlexus returns a digitally signed .irislicfile for installation.
To install or update a licence at any time:
.irislic file supplied by NeoPlexus.A perpetual IRIS licence provides an ongoing right to use the licensed software.
Software maintenance, technical support, updates, upgrades, future releases and additional NeoPlexus-developed plugins/extensions are not included with the perpetual software licence unless separately agreed in writing with NeoPlexus.
Licensing enquiries can be directed to
.Platform Availability
IRIS is designed as a cross-platform tactical software platform. Release availability and feature parity may vary between platform builds.
Windows:
The current Windows version is available now.
Download the current IRIS Windows version
Linux:
The current Linux version is available now.
Download the current IRIS Linux version
Android:
The current Android version of IRIS is available now as a directly installable APK.
Before installing IRIS for Android, please download and read the IRIS Android Installation Guide.
Download the IRIS Android Installation Guide
Download the current IRIS Android APK
Android example plugins are available for developers and integrators:
Download IRIS Android Example Plugins
The IRIS Android Plugin API Guide is available here:
View the IRIS Android Plugin API Guide
Android Mapping Note:
IRIS for Android is supplied with an offline map by default. This allows the application to provide mapping when operating without Internet connectivity. If suitable connectivity is available, users should enable an online map within IRIS to take advantage of online mapping services.
iOS:
Keep watching for our upcoming IRIS iOS release.
macOS:
The current Mac version of IRIS is available now and is supported on
macOS 26 or later
.Download the current IRIS macOS version
For information concerning other platform builds or a particular deployment requirement, contact NeoPlexus.
Offline imagery, terrain, 3D content and mission map packages can significantly increase storage requirements.
Recommended Linux Network Buffer Configuration
For Linux installations, it is recommended that the receive and transmit socket buffer limits be permanently increased. Add the following entries to
/etc/sysctl.conf
:
net.core.rmem_max=8388608
net.core.wmem_max=8388608
net.core.rmem_default=1048576
net.core.wmem_default=1048576Apply the settings with:
sudo sysctl --systemThe following comments relate to earlier LNIC-related evaluation activity. They are historical observations and should not be interpreted as current Defence approval, selection, accreditation or certification of IRIS. Current applicability should be verified before reliance in formal material.
Read the Why Choose IRIS paper
The available IRIS videos provide practical guidance on how to use and configure the application, including feature walkthroughs and configuration examples.
If there is an area of IRIS you are unsure about, simply email us at [email protected]
and we will create a video to cover the topic.
The following are examples of offline Esri map packages that can be used with IRIS:
Contact NeoPlexus if you require additional offline mapping or assistance preparing mission-specific map packages.
When deploying IRIS across a network, ensure all participating IRIS nodes are running the same current version of the application.
IRIS is actively developed and updated. New releases may include additional capabilities, improvements, fixes or changes to functionality used between IRIS nodes. Running different IRIS versions across the same operational network may therefore result in inconsistent behaviour or prevent newer capabilities from being available across all nodes.
Before deploying or updating IRIS, check the version installed on each device and, wherever possible, update all participating nodes to the same release.
For operational deployments, NeoPlexus recommends standardising the IRIS version across the entire network before commencing an activity or exercise.
If downloading IRIS for multiple devices, use the current release links below and confirm that the same release version has been deployed across the network.
The current IRIS Windows, Linux, macOS and Android versions are available now:
Download IRIS for WindowsDownload IRIS for LinuxDownload IRIS for macOS
IRIS for AndroidBefore installing IRIS for Android, please download and read the IRIS Android Installation Guide.
Download the IRIS Android Installation Guide
Download IRIS for Android – APK
Download IRIS Android Example Plugins
View the IRIS Android Plugin API Guide
Mac users:
IRIS for macOS is supported on macOS 26 or later
.Android users:
The Android download contains the directly installable IRIS APK. Please read the installation guide before downloading and installing the APK. The default Android map is an offline map designed to support disconnected operation. If suitable online connectivity is available, enable an online map within IRIS.
iOS users: keep watching for our upcoming IRIS iOS release.
Contact NeoPlexus if you would like to request an IRIS demonstration, undertake a live trial, request an available NeoPlexus plugin/extension, develop a third-party plugin/extension, integrate a sensor or communications system, or explore other partnership and integration opportunities.
For an overview visit
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