Based on over 30 years of tactical light development and training Surefire has determined that Law Enforcement personnel need three complimentary illumination tools to cover the full range of situations they may find themselves in. They must be able to identify threats, disorient opponents, and illuminate targets. Surefire refers to this concept as the “Tactical Trinity”.
Surefire goes on the further define the Tactical Trinity as a primary light, a backup light, and a weapon light.
The primary light must be handy and provide a consistent 50 lumens of light which they refer to as a tactical level of light. There are a number of lights on the market that accomplish this and at a wide variety of price points. For years I carried a Surefire 6P but these days you can get the appropriate amount of illumination at an even lower price with the Nitrolon series from Surefire. What’s more, they come in Black, Tan, OD and Yellow. Surefire has also incorporated self defensive features into their lights like those seen on the E-2D Defender above.
Surefire urges the officer to select a backup light that is ultra compact yet provide the same level of light as a primary light. Some might think this is simply an excuse to get a guy to purchase an extra light but “Murphy” can rear his ugly head anywhere and there is nothing worse than needing light just when your batteries go on your primary light. Oddly enough, Surefire actually offers a light called the E1-B Backup and it is a great light. It is very compact and offers two-stage illumination. The initial click of the tailcap causes the light to provide a full 80 lumens and a second click brings it down to 5 lumens for administrative functions.
The final piece of the Tactical Trinity is a weapon light which must offer “overwhelming output”, offer practical, ergonomic switching options as well as be reliable. Depending on the primary weapon, Surefire offers everything from illumination tools purpose built specifically for weapons to to the X300 and new X400 series of pistol lights. The latest in the series, the X400 also integrates a visible laser.
While Surefire has developed this philosophy specifically for the LE community, the same tenets apply to military users but I would recommend the addition of a head lamp or helmet light. Surefire has invested in development of the latest technologies including Total Internal Refection (TIR) lenses and LED lamps. It is really worth your time to speak to a Surefire representative about their entire line of illumination tools to find the right product for your needs.
For more information be sure to check out their informative website.
