GAO questions Pentagon's software spending data

The Department of Defense spent an estimated $828 million on sustainment of weapons systems software in fiscal year 2018. But the numbers aren't entirely reliable because the Navy does not submit data in accordance with recently updated DOD policy. 

As a result, according to a Government Accountability Office report, "DOD is impeded in its efforts to plan for a ready and controlled source of technical competence, and to budget resources in peacetime while preserving the surge capabilities necessary to fully support strategic and contingency needs."

DOD's Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation has been aware of multiple issues with data on weapons system software sustainment going back several years in areas including data collection from contractors and from DOD software centers. 

DOD agreed with several recommendations on how the military services can supply better data on software sustainment.