IDT submits bid to protest monopoly on defense department contract to protect U.S. troops

Infrastructure Defense Technologies, LLC (IDT) today announced that it has submitted a Bid Protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), to try to reverse the Defense Logistics Agency's (DLA) award of a U.S. government contract for critical military force protection to a foreign company. The DLA, a combat support agency of the Department of Defense, requested bids in 2008 for Expeditionary Earth Filled Protective Barriers, which provide perimeter security against likely threats such as bullets, RPGs, IEDs, and VBIEDs at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the IDT protective barrier received the best protective and technical ratings (as tested by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), the DLA curiously awarded the contract to a foreign competitor. In repeated Government evaluations of the technical characteristics of IDT's products, even DLA has concluded that IDT's products are technically superior overall to the products of its foreign competitor. Since 2003, the DLA has sole-sourced this critically important protective equipment from a foreign company, and has paid them in foreign currency. "U.S. soldiers who put their lives on the line every day deserve the best protection available. Giving them anything less is unacceptable and inexcusable," said Kenneth Carlton, Vice President of IDT. "At a minimum, the Defense Department should equip our troops in the field with a selection of force protection options. Given the broad range of needs that exist in Iraq and Afghanistan, voluntarily engaging in a monopoly with a foreign company is ill-advised, and potentially dangerous." IDT is an American company located in Belvidere, Illinois, where the unemployment rate is among the highest in the United States. An award of this contract will create 250 skilled manufacturing jobs. In addition, IDT estimates an additional 1,000 jobs will be created regionally in support of the contract. "We are ready to hire American workers and provide the best possible protection to the war fighter," concluded Mr. Carlton. IDT has received tremendous support from Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, U.S. Senators Richard Durbin and Roland Burris, U.S. Congressman Donald Manzullo, the Illinois State AFL-CIO, and the United Steel Workers.