Recommendation 17

The Integrated Review, has, at its heart, much greater digital connectivity between military platforms, in order to achieve a significant force-multiplier effect, even with, in some cases, notably fewer units of increasingly high-tech equipment. For the Army, the much-delayed Morpheus programme is the ‘digital nervous system’ which is intended to allow its future (and upgraded) armoured vehicles and related platforms to communicate effectively, on a potentially high-intensity electronic, as well as physical, battlefield. The existing Bowman system is now growing old and may, in a few years be rendered insecure by advances in offensive cyber/cryptographic technology. The Committee was disappointed about the lack of progress on this highly expensive and vital component of the Defence Digital portfolio. The faltering Morpheus programme must now be ‘gripped’ and put firmly back on track, as a matter of urgency. 45 TDS0004 46 Q 71 47 Qq 70–71 48 Qq 22, 72–74 49 Q 75 50 Q 4 51 Q 71 52 Q 97 53 Qq 50, 71 54 Q 95 14 The Defence digital strategy 3 Funding and data Sustainability of funding