Army equipment officials awarded a contract Oct. 9 for 58,000 armor plate carriers in an effort to lighten heavy loads soldiers carry in Afghanistan.KDH Defense Systems Inc. beat out Eagle Industries, MSA Paraclete and Tactical Assault Gear to supply soldiers with a lightweight alternative to the current-issue Improved Outer Tactical Vest, which weighs about 33 pounds, Brig. Gen Peter Fuller, commander of Program Executive Office Soldiers said.KDH is located in Johnstown, Pa., which is in the state’s 12th Congressional district and home to Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the powerful House Appropriations defense subcommittee.The dollar amount of the contract was not available at press time.KDH’s plate carrier was not the lightest one in the competition. Without ballistic plates, the KDH plate carrier weighs 6.47 pounds, according to PEO Soldier data. It’s about 1.5 pounds heavier than the Eagle Industries Modular Body Armor Vest, a plate carrier that is standard issue to Special Operations Command units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment.A thousand of the plate carriers will be made in MultiCam camouflage pattern and will be issued with MultiCam uniforms to a battalion’s worth of soldiers in Afghanistan in an effort to find a new camouflage pattern for soldiers operating there.The remaining 57,000 plate carriers should be delivered in the current Universal Camouflage Pattern by February and will likely be issued to soldiers in Afghanistan, Fuller said.Uniform officials decided to go with UCP instead of waiting for the Army to decide late this year if it is going to issue a new camouflage pattern for Afghanistan.“Let’s get these kids a lighter vest; let’s not delay,” Fuller said.