MOPRHEUS Key Management System (MKMS) - Discovery Event

The UK MOD is publishing this Discovery Event to seek responses from industry to help inform the MKMS project and outline potential solutions in the market.

MKMS will provide cryptographic key, and associated communications information, to the point of fill on cryptographic devices being delivered by MORPHEUS as part of the bearer solution. It will achieve this by interfacing to external key generation, manipulation and distribution systems, as well as by providing key generation for keys not supplied by external systems. MKMS will provide key manipulation and distribution internal to MORPHEUS in accordance with communication plans that are developed by system management tools. MKMS is planned to interface to the system management tools to receive communication plan information and provide any necessary information from MKMS. Keys generated by MKMS will need to be available to external key management systems to facilitate interoperability (e.g. between non-MORPHEUS Army Aviation and MORPHEUS ground troops).

MKMS will adopt a user-centric design, that takes account of the threat environment and places interoperability with allies and coalition partners at the heart of its development. The solution will also need to integrate with the wider UK crypt-key enterprise.

The scope of the project includes any fill devices and/or applications needed to fill cryptographic equipment as well as to manage the key management system in support of crypto management responsibilities. This scope shall include, where necessary, assured Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to support the MORPHEUS crypt-key solution.

MORPHEUS will operate at up to, and including, SECRET Releasable to the Mission/NATO. The key management system scope will include all cryptographic key material including interoperability keys, GPS, transmission and communication security.

The current planned timeframe for MKMS operation with other MORPHEUS system elements is 2028.