INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: SureFire
Jamie Wiedeman
Director of Military Special Projects
SureFire
Jamie Wiedeman enlisted in the Army in 1982. He served with the 1st Ranger Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., and 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning, Ga. After serving with the Ranger Regiment, he was assigned to USASOC at Fort Bragg, N.C., from 1992 to 2003. During his career, he was deployed on combat operations to Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Bosnia and Afghanistan. Some of his awards include Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist, HALO Jumpmaster, Combat Diver, Pathfinder, Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Purple Heart. Wiedeman retired from active duty in August 2003.
Q: Can you give SOTECH readers a quick overview of how SureFire products are used in the spec ops community?
A: SureFire WeaponLights allow operators to rapidly identify and discriminate targets, reducing casualties and collateral damage. Modern military tactics rely heavily on SureFire illumination, so we offer weapon-mounted lights and mounts for every weapon used by special operations.
Our sound suppressors used by SOF reduce a weapon’s sound, flash and dust signature. We offer them for all military primary weapons, sniper rifles and machine guns. They allow for better communications, help protect against hearing loss and conceal an operator’s firing position while usually increasing a weapon’s accuracy. And any impact shift, which is negligible, is consistent and repeatable.
We also manufacture several edged weapons—both fixed and folding blades. And we recently designed a custom dive tool for the SEALs.
Q: What sets SureFire tactical products apart from others?
A: Performance, durability and John Matthews’ [SureFire’s founder and president] overall philosophy. John’s motto is: “Build the best, no matter what the cost.” And John has resourced a team of the best scientists, engineers, manufacturing experts, and tactical professionals to do just that. We produce the world’s finest equipment for those who go in harm’s way.
Q: How has your experience in spec ops helped in your duties at SureFire?
A: I have an understanding of combat tactics and associated applications for our products. My experience and training have also prepared me to better interface with the military and to communicate their needs to engineering, to help us design and build equipment with the warfighter’s needs in mind.
Q: What are key factors in successfully presenting SureFire products to the military?
A: Confidence in the product is number one. I believe strongly in the quality of SureFire products, based on my years of experience using them. This experience helps me to recommend the right tool for the right job, based on mission requirements.
Q: How does SureFire work with the military in developing new products and making improvements to existing products?
A: Our military team acts as a liaison between the end-user and SureFire engineers. We communicate the military’s input directly to engineering. So we’re extremely interested in any feedback from the military—in fact, we communicate with soldiers CONUS and OCONUS everyday. Our engineers also get out of the office and work directly with end-users on the range during live-fire testing.
The majority of our products are developed for special operations; however, most soldiers benefit from the technology once it’s fielded. But SOFs play a key role in the development of new equipment for the entire military, so this relationship is extremely important to us.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
A: Working with the military to improve the effectiveness of their weapon systems. I feel I’m making a positive contribution when my work leads to improved capabilities for our troops. I know U.S. soldiers are safer and more effective because of SureFire products.
Q: What sorts of products are in development for SOF down the road?
A: SureFire is a technology company, so as the technology advances we’ll continue increasing light output while producing smaller, lighter-weight illumination tools. We’re also seeing improvements in energy consumption, which leads to more efficient lights with extended runtimes. New functions and features operators are going to appreciate are also coming, but I can’t talk about those yet.
Until SureFire got into sound suppressors, suppressor technology was basically stagnant. But we’re continually developing and testing new designs and prototypes, in cooperation with weapon manufacturers and the military, to provide lighterweight, extremely durable, high-performance suppressors. The response to our suppressors has been very positive, and we have the resources and production capacity to meet the demands of SOFs.
The next few years are going to be very exciting here at SureFire. I think the spec ops community is going to be extremely pleased with what’s coming. I know I am. ♦