What IDS International does

IDS International Government Services LLC is a privately held federal contractor founded in 2006 and headquartered at 2500 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA. The firm delivers training, logistics, security, expeditionary support, and post-conflict reconstruction services to U.S. Department of Defense and Department of State customers, with disclosed operations in over 50 countries spanning the Balkans, Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Its flagship proprietary technology is SMEIR (Social Media Environment and Internet Replication), a closed-loop training environment that replicates the public internet and social-media ecosystems for full-spectrum cyber, electronic, and information-warfare exercises used by U.S. Army Special Operations, Psychological Operations, Civil Affairs, and joint training centers such as JRTC, NTC, and Muscatatuck.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through federal contract vehicles — including prime RS3 (W15P7T-19-D-0054), GSA Multiple Award Schedule, Other Transaction Authority — and through purpose-built joint ventures such as Weaponize LLC (with MKS2) and Team Mbogo (with TigerSwan and J&J Worldwide Services). Service lines are organized around Training Services, Security Services (cleared guards for embassies, data centers, and OBO construction), Cyber and Information Warfare Training (anchored by SMEIR/SITE), Expeditionary Support Services, and Post-Conflict Operations & Reconstruction. Major contract signals include a seat on a nine-year, $960 million U.S. Air Force Counter-Narcotics and Global Threats ID/IQ, and a 2021 acquisition of DECO and GovSource that broadened capability into military-science instruction and infrastructure protection. The firm holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, is led by CEO Chris Bauer (formerly of AECOM, Unisys, and Valiant) and founder/Chairman Nick Dowling, and lists 1,001-5,000 employees across its U.S. and overseas footprint.

Name

IDS International

Legal name

IDS International Government Services LLC

Website

https://idsinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

IDS International is a privately held Arlington, VA-based federal contractor providing training, security, expeditionary support, and proprietary SMEIR cyber/social-media training environments to U.S. Department of Defense and Department of State clients across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government defense services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting (BPAHAEAG)

Keywords

• Government contracting services
• Defense training services
• Cyber warfare training
• Expeditionary support services
• Security services

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracting Services: IDS generates revenue through federal government contracts for training, logistics, security services, and cyber/information warfare training. Services are delivered through contract vehicles like RS3, GSA MAS, and OTAs to DoD, DoS, and other federal agencies.
2. Training Services: Comprehensive training services including military training, cyber and information warfare training, expeditionary support services, and security training for government clients.
3. Expeditionary Support Services: Rapid response expeditionary services in contingency and enduring environments including operations and maintenance of geographically separated installations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IDS International is a U.S. federal government contractor that delivers training, security, expeditionary support, post-conflict reconstruction, and cyber/information warfare services to DoD, DoS, U.S. Air Force, and international organizations. The company's flagship proprietary offering is SMEIR (Social Media Environment and Internet Replication), a closed-loop cyber and information warfare training system that realistically replicates the internet and social media for use at U.S. Army training centers. Services are delivered through prime contracts on RS3, GSA MAS, and OTA vehicles, plus joint ventures such as Weaponize LLC and Team Mbogo.

Product overview

IDS International offers a portfolio of defense and security services organized around two distinct lines of business: expeditionary support services and cyber and social media training environments. The core proprietary technology is SMEIR (Social Media Environment and Internet Replication), a cyber and information warfare training system providing realistic social media and internet replication for military exercises. SMEIR powers the SITE (Synthetic Internet for Training and Exercises) capability. Services include security services, training and technical services, expeditionary support, and post-conflict operations across 50+ countries. The company operates through contract vehicles including RS3, GSA MAS, and OTA. Notable acquisitions include DECO and GovSource (training and security support), and joint ventures Mbogo and Weaponize.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMEIR (Social Media Environment and Internet Replication): Proprietary cyberspace training environment that replicates key aspects of the Internet for realistic cyber and social media training exercises.
• SITE (Synthetic Internet for Training and Exercises)

Products and services

• SMEIR (Social Media Environment and Internet Replication) IDS's proprietary cyber and information warfare training environment that provides a full-range, free-play, immersive, realistic, and scalable operational practice environment for training on full-spectrum cyberspace operations and social media analytics. Used by U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, PSYOP, and Civil Affairs units at JRTC, NTC, and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center.
• SITE (Synthetic Internet for Training and Exercises) Synthetic internet sandbox training capability that replicates key aspects of the internet for large-scale training exercises, allowing exercise designers to integrate realistic online publicly available information and social media impact while keeping exercise activities strictly within the training environment.
• Training and Technical Services Comprehensive training services covering interagency and whole-of-government approaches to disaster response, humanitarian assistance, stability operations, and reconstruction, with curriculum informed by professionals with recent State Department, CIA, U.S. military, UN, and NGO experience. Includes specialized training, tactical training, soldier skill training, and infrastructure protection.
• Security Services Cleared security solutions ensuring safety and protection of critical assets including security guards for sensitive government-owned construction sites, secure facility escort services, and comprehensive security analysis and monitoring for U.S. government facilities from embassies to data centers.
• Cyber and Information Warfare Training Cutting-edge training programs and technology for cyber, electronic, and information warfare using immersive, realistic, and scalable operations ranges to create effective train-as-you-fight environments, powered by the proprietary SMEIR platform.
• Expeditionary Support Services Rapid-response expeditionary services in contingency and enduring environments including operations and maintenance of geographically separated installations, logistics and engineering, expeditionary training, and needs assessments and monitoring for international organizations such as the World Food Program.
• Post-Conflict Operations & Reconstruction Capabilities in post-conflict and reconstruction operations including assessments, logistics and engineering, security services, training, and management with presence in over 50 countries and experience in conflict from the Balkans to the Middle East.
• Team Mbogo Joint Venture Purpose-built joint venture with TigerSwan LLC and J&J Worldwide Services providing capacity-building assistance for peace, security, and regional stability initiatives in support of DoS and DoD, covering training, mentoring, logistics support, equipment procurement, and construction services.
• Weaponize LLC Joint Venture SBA-approved professional services consultancy joint venture with MKS2 LLC specializing in technology-driven training and event management solutions to the Federal government, focused on Counter-Narcotics and Global Threats (CN&GT) operations under a nine-year, $960 million U.S. Air Force contract.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• MKS2, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023IDS and MKS2 formed Weaponize LLC joint venture awarded a seat on nine-year, $960 million U.S. Air Force contract (CN&GT ID/IQ 611430) to assist DoD and partner nations in combating security threats including illegal drugs, trafficking, piracy, and transnational organized crime. Weaponize is an SBA-approved SDVOSB joint venture formed in 2019.
• No One Left Behind (NOLB)significantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2022IDS partners with NOLB to assist former employees and subcontractors with evacuating from Taliban-led Afghanistan. Partnership facilitates SIV processing for Afghan nationals and resettlement assistance. IDS provides employee verification documents, maintains communications channels, and has established HR support for SIV follow-up requirements. At peak, IDS employed over 1,100 local national staff in Afghanistan.
• TigerSwan LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Team Mbogo joint venture (with IDS as Managing Member, TigerSwan, and J&J Worldwide Services) provides capacity-building assistance for peace, security, and regional stability initiatives in support of DoS and DoD. Supports training, mentoring, monitoring services, logistics, equipment procurement, and design/construction services.
• J&J Worldwide ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Team Mbogo joint venture (with IDS as Managing Member, TigerSwan, and J&J Worldwide Services) provides capacity-building assistance for peace, security, and regional stability initiatives in support of DoS and DoD.
• Emerging Technology Institute (ETI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IDS Cyber and Information Warfare division participates in ETI's Tech-Palooza events focused on emerging technology including denied environment capabilities, IoT, AI and autonomy, and wearable tech.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Leidos: Large government services and IT company with extensive training, logistics, and cyber/security cooperation work for DoD and DoS — competes across IDS's training, expeditionary, and security service lines, but at substantially larger scale.
• CACI International: Major defense and intelligence services contractor offering training, C4ISR, IT, and cyber services to DoD and federal civilian agencies — overlaps with IDS's C4ISR-related RS3 work and cyber training capabilities.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Large diversified federal professional services and consulting firm with deep cyber, training, and defense/intelligence practices — competes for many of the same DoD and DoS contracts IDS pursues, but at materially larger scale and broader service portfolio.

Direct peers

• MPRI (a Lincoln Military Housing / L3Harris company): Long-standing military training and government services contractor supporting DoD and partner nations with training, mentoring, and capacity-building — a direct competitor for security assistance training and Defense University-related contracts.
• Valiant Integrated Services: Mid-sized government services contractor delivering training, intelligence, logistics, and security services to DoD, DoS, and federal civilian agencies — directly comparable in scope, customer set, and contract vehicles, and the prior employer of IDS CEO Chris Bauer.
• Constellis Group: Provider of security, training, and support services to government and commercial clients worldwide, including DoS OBO security and international capacity-building — closely overlapping IDS's security services and embassy support offerings.
• Titan Security Group / Titania Solutions Group: Mid-sized federal contractor providing security, training, and IT support to federal law enforcement, DoD, and intelligence customers — comparable in size and customer overlap, especially around cleared staffing and training services.
• TigerSwan: Private security and government services firm providing training, security assistance, and capacity-building for DoD and DoS — a JV partner in Team Mbogo with overlapping customer base and offering set.

Emerging players

• Dynamis Inc. Mid-sized federal contractor providing training, exercise support, and professional services to DoD and federal civilian agencies — comparable in size and service mix, particularly around exercise planning and training support.
• R3 Strategic Support Group: Veteran-founded defense contractor specializing in special operations training, intelligence support, and SOF-experienced staffing — directly comparable in scale and customer mix, often as a teammate or competitor on USASOC and SOCOM work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ids_intl
• Facebookfacebook.com/ids-international-144161915603935
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ids-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IDS International