Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his timetable is for the delivery Morpheus Evolve to Open.

The MORPHEUS Evolve to Open (EvO) Transition Partner contract (placed with General Dynamics Mission Systems UK (GDMS(UK)) in 2017) aims to deliver the foundation of the agreed MoD digital communications strategy. The objective is to deliver the evolution of the closed, proprietary, in service Tactical Communications and Information System (CIS) system (BCIP 5.6) to open design standards. The principle is that this will end vendor lock-in, and drive value through commercial competition for tactical communications solutions in the future.

The EvO Transition Partner contract was due to be completed, with objectives delivered, in April 2021, this has not been achieved.

Consideration is being made on the best route to achieve our objectives. GDMS(UK) have had their contract extended (at no additional cost) under an interim agreement until September 2021, this is in order to facilitate negotiations with GDMS (UK) on how our objectives could be fulfilled through them to form part of that overall assessment.