The Morpheus communications programme, a key project within the Land Environment Tactical Communication and Information Systems (LE TacCIS) Programme, is facing delays, according to Defence Minister Maria Eagle.
The update came in response to a parliamentary question from Mark Francois MP (Conservative – Rayleigh and Wickford).
Eagle confirmed:
“MORPHEUS is a project within the Land Environment Tactical Communication and Information Systems (LETacCIS) Programme and is currently delayed. Work to reset the project remains ongoing, and an Independent Project Review, led by the Cabinet Office’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), will take place in early 2025 and inform next steps.”
The LE TacCIS programme, which aims to deliver next-generation tactical military communications, has faced significant delays since its inception. Awarded in 2017, the Morpheus project was intended to modernise the British Army’s tactical communication systems by transitioning from a closed to an open architecture. Despite an estimated £1.5 billion spent on LE TacCIS by 2021, with £572 million allocated specifically to Morpheus, progress has been limited.
The House of Commons Defence Select Committee had previously raised concerns about costly delays and the programme’s ability to deliver the promised capability. In 2021, the committee urged the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to clarify whether the project would meet its timeline and avoid obsolescence.
The Independent Project Review scheduled for early 2025 is expected to provide a clearer picture of the programme’s future and identify pathways to address the ongoing delays. The review, led by the Cabinet Office’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority, will assess the viability and progress of Morpheus as part of the broader LE TacCIS programme.
Morpheus is intended to play a pivotal role in delivering the Army’s modern communication infrastructure, when it enters service.
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I take it the CIS meeting at the Royal Signals Institution and its nice brochure was all just BS to keep the pen pushers of their back i while longer
And now they want and Independent Project Review?
Did none of them think of attending the meeting and working it out there and then?
Anyone know what the issue with the project is? Scope, cost, quality? Just saying it’s delayed, and not pointing to any progress made so far, suggests that there’s something pretty fundamental…
Transformation from a closed to an open architecture, and over complex
May have been better with an off-the-shelf capability already in production
Way things are looking Morpheus Initial Operating Capability (IOC) the end of 2027,
and the Full Operating Capacity (FOC) 2031
Where have we heard that before ? Sheesh, will they ever learn ?
Who is being paid this much to deliver sod all? Just give everyone an encrypted mobile phone.
The Financial Times announced the £395 million GD Morpheus project was ended on 24th December 2023. GD should have provided a working lab demo in 2020. James Cartlidge former defence minister said delivery against the original timescale was not met and the project had fallen short of what was expected. Cancellation was confirmed by both the treasury and cabinet office as the best value for money approach for the tax payer !
I may be imagining this but I recall hearing about LE TacCIS when I was still serving…and I left in Sep 2009!