U.S. Marine Corps Awards Contract for Streamlight's Sidewinder® Streamlight's Sidewinder® passed muster with the U.S. Marine Corps following an 18-month, highly competitive evaluation of the hands-free tactical light that packs 20 lights into a single, compact light. The first Sidewinder shipments are scheduled to begin in early 2009 as part of the initial award quantity of 74,000 lights, said Matt Baker, Streamlight's Director of Sales – Military and Federal Divisions. Initial shipments will go to Marine Corps bases Camp Pendelton, near San Diego, California; Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and the Marine Corps' base in Okinawa, Japan. Working with contracted partner Tactical & Survival Specialties Inc., Streamlight® expects to complete delivery by Summer 2009. Baker said that with the contract, the Sidewinder will be given a National Stock Number (NSN), allowing other military services to order the light. In addition, the Sidewinder will become a standard-issue item for new recruits as well as those already in the corps. Baker said the Sidewinder solves a real problem for Marines in the field: they currently carry three to four lights, each with sets of batteries, while with the Sidewinder, they get more functionality with just one light-weight flashlight that can be worn around the neck or clipped to a MOLLE or ACH for hands-free use. The lengthy vetting process to gain the contract with the Marine Corps pitted Streamlight against large competitors and those with recurring contracts with the military. "We outperformed each of them," he said. During the 18-month evaluation period, Baker said Streamlight was able to implement various engineering changes at the request of the Marine Corps. The changes included increased light output, safety markings on the body of the light and special packaging and labeling for easy storage at the point of sale. "The evaluation period gave Streamlight the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to perform to match their requirements," Baker said. "Streamlight put the Marine Corps first. The Sidewinder was developed specifically for the U.S. military with their requirements in mind." The compact Sidewinder, which weighs a mere 4.96 ounces, provides valuable safety components for Marines using the light such as non-sparking LEDs. It also functions well in extreme weather conditions, ranging from 40 degrees below zero to a high of 150 degrees, and is water-proof, shock, impact and torque stress tested.