The Government Accountability Office has called on the Defense Department to update its policy for overseeing major automated information system business programs in an effort to address issues when it comes to providing performance data.

GAO said in a report published Thursday performance information includes baseline estimates on schedule and cost goals; quarter and annual reports on investment programs; and thresholds that seek to determine high risk on schedule and cost.

GAO made the recommendation after it assessed whether DoD’s policies for managing its 24 non-business MAIS programs and 10 MAIS programs adhere to information technology management practices.

The congressional watchdog also analyzed 15 MAIS programs’ schedule, cost and performance goals and found that majority of the nine programs with performance objectives met their performance targets.

Schedule delays observed in the 15 MAIS non-business and business programs ranged from five months to five years due to unplanned changes or unfeasible expectations, according to the report.

GAO said the selected 15 MAIS programs had seen increases or decreases in their planned cost estimates. Cost increases ranged from $2.9 million to $1.5 billion, while reductions in planned cost estimates ranged from $1.2 million to $1.6 billion.

“The decreases in planned cost were largely due to scope reduction, while cost increases were due to underestimating levels of effort and contracting issues,” GAO wrote.

The U.S. Navy has commissioned the USS Manchester, or LCS 14, at a ceremony Saturday in Portsmouth, N.H., USNI News reported Monday.

The addition of the newest Independence-class littoral combat ship raises the Navy’s LCS count to 12.

The Austal USA-built ship departed from its maker’s Alabama shipyard on May 5 for the ceremony.

Adm. Bill Moran, vice chief of naval operations, delivered the commissioning’s principal address; while Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., ordered USS Manchester’s activation as the ship’s sponsor.

The ship entered construction in 2015 and was christened the following year.

LCS 14 is the second Navy ship named after Manchester, N.H., following a light cruiser used during the Korean conflict.

The Senate Armed Services Committee passed on Thursday a bill that would authorize $617.6 billion in base budget for the Defense Department and $68.5 billion in overseas contingency operations funds for fiscal 2019, The Hill reported Thursday.

The panel’s version of fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act would allocate $21.6 billion for the Energy Department’s defense-related initiatives, $7.6 billion for 75 F-35 fighter aircraft and $65 million for the development of a low-yield nuclear warhead.

The measure, which was named after SASC Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), would also earmark $23.1 billion for the procurement of 10 new ships, including a littoral combat ship, two Virginia-class submarines and three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The FY 2019 NDAA seeks to advance “readiness restoration, capabilities modernization and concept development” in an effort to keep the U.S. military edge over potential adversaries, according to the bill’s summary.

The House on Thursday voted 351-66 to clear its proposed FY 2019 NDAA that would allocate $717 billion in defense budget.

The Defense Information Systems Agency is offering four service options to support the Defense Department‘s voice communication needs.

These options under the Enterprise Voice Services Program are part of the DoD chief information officer’s effort to replace Defense Information Systems Network legacy systems with new internet protocol technologies, DISA said Thursday.

The Enterprise Voice over Internet Protocol and Enterprise Classified Voice over Internet Protocol options are made to serve as platforms for unclassified and classified voice exchange across the DoD and its partners.

These services make use of the Non-classified IP Router Network and the Secret IP Router Network.

The Enterprise Audio Conferencing option is geared to provide audio conference service without the need for reservations.

Lastly, the Voice Internet Service Provider option uses an NIPRNet connection to provide commercial phone services encompassing local, long distance, international, emergency, inbound and outbound calls.

Marie Sakowicz, program manager for the Enterprise Voice Services, discussed each option at the 2018 Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium.