DSEI 2025: Sentinel Photonics helps soldiers spot hidden snipers and laser threats with new Echo and Laserd Max systems.

At the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition at ExCeL London between 9 and 12 September 2025, the British company Sentinel Photonics has formally launched two new systems, Echo and Laserd Max, designed to enhance laser detection and intelligence gathering capabilities across military and security environments. The company describes these products, set to be demonstrated for the first time at the event, as part of its response to the growth of covert hostile optics and the proliferation of battlefield laser threats. Sentinel states that the systems are designed to reveal hidden optics, record hostile laser activity, and provide operators with data to understand and respond to laser-based threats in real time.
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The Laserd Max (left) is a laser intelligence system that tracks and classifies hostile laser activity across 10 km, while the Echo (right) is a handheld device that detects hidden sniper scopes and covert optics at ranges up to 3 km. (Picture source: Sentinel Photonics)

Echo is a rugged handheld retro-reflective detection system designed to expose concealed magnified optics of any type, including those used by snipers, surveillance teams, or for border monitoring. It operates across visible, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared bands, detecting optics at distances ranging from 50 meters to 3 kilometers. Echo uses retro-reflection, a process where light directed into an optic is reflected back along the same path, to reveal threats that conventional imaging systems cannot detect. The device is designed to remain safe for the human eye, operates discreetly to avoid being visible to night vision and low-light cameras, and can be employed in varied conditions without compromising the operator’s position. Applications include counter-surveillance, VIP protection, counter-sniper operations, and border security. The device integrates an onboard display, video capture, and sharing capability for real-time and post-operation use.

Laserd Max is an autonomous laser intelligence system that extends the range of detection up to 10 kilometers across both visible and non-visible spectrums. The system is designed to provide persistent, passive mapping, logging, and analysis of laser activity in real time, even in contested electronic warfare environments. Its functions include simultaneous detection of multiple threats such as laser-directed energy weapons, rangefinders, beamriders, LIDAR systems, covert illuminators, retro-detectors, and laser microphones. The system features a high-sensitivity capture engine with 10 pJ/cm² pulse sensitivity, enabling the detection of transient or low-signature events. It produces a tailored threat library to support tactical and strategic responses and integrates with command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) ecosystems. It can be deployed on land, sea, and air platforms and offers both remote networking through secure protocols and standalone field operation.

The Laserd product family includes multiple variants beyond Max, such as Mini, Micro, and Air, each designed to meet specific size, weight, and power requirements while covering different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Technical specifications published by the company list dimensions ranging from 14 x 10 x 9.5 cm for Max to 8 x 6 x 4 cm for Micro, with weights under 1 kg and battery endurance ranging from four hours for Max to twelve hours for Micro. Interfaces available include Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and USB, with data storage capacities up to 500 GB, depending on the model. Operating conditions range from −20 to 50 Celsius, with storage tolerances down to −40 Celsius. Mini provides haptic, audio, and LED threat warnings, while Micro emphasizes a modular design and low false-alarm rate. These systems are described as adaptable for integration into larger platforms or for dismounted use in high-threat environments.

Sentinel Photonics, founded in 2019 by former Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) scientists, began operations in 2020 after licensing technology from the UK Ministry of Defence through Ploughshare Innovations. Early development was supported by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) through funding projects and a Defence Innovation Loan in 2022, which enabled expansion of the team. By 2025, the company employed around 20 staff, with about half in technical roles, and operated from facilities at Cody Technology Park in Farnborough and Porton Science Park near Porton Down. Sentinel’s portfolio includes both detection and protection systems, with the latter represented by Frost filters, designed to be mounted on optical devices to reduce detection risk from retro-reflection and to provide levels of laser eye protection. Frost has been integrated into KS1 rifles through partnerships with defence suppliers and has been tested by UK and international special forces.

The company’s broader commercial strategy includes partnerships with defence firms across Europe, including TBM Netherlands, StarC4SYS in Romania, Glomex in Poland, and Precision Technic Defence Group in Denmark, alongside partners in Australia and France. Sentinel positions its systems for both defence and security markets, with applications in base and vehicle protection, cockpit and observation point safety, counter-surveillance in secure facilities, maritime security, and VIP protection. Beyond military applications, the systems are also positioned for civil security markets, including the aviation sector, where the number of laser incidents against aircraft continues to rise. The company has cited statistics such as 12,000 incidents in 2023 involving lasers directed at commercial aircraft, highlighting the role of detection technology in distinguishing between harmless and hazardous events.

At DSEI 2025, Sentinel will present Echo and Laserd Max as part of a broader demonstration of detection and protection technologies that aim to respond to the increasing use of lasers in both military and civilian environments. Echo provides a portable tool for revealing concealed optics in a wide range of operational contexts, while Laserd Max creates a continuous record and live intelligence feed on hostile laser activity, capable of integration with wider situational awareness systems. Both products are designed to operate with minimal training and to contribute to a layered defence approach. Sentinel indicates that the systems are now available and field-ready, with demonstrations at DSEI intended to show their role within multi-domain security and military operations.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.