- Sentinel Photonics was founded in 2019 by former Dstl scientists who developed innovative laser detection technology. The scientists spun out their own company in 2020, licencing the technology from Dstl.
- Another DASA-funded innovation which protects users’ eyesight from lasers has been adopted on the Army’s KS1 rifles.
- Sentinel Photonics also secured a DASA Defence Innovation Loan to help grow the size of their team and further develop the technology.
- The company has grown at a remarkable pace, from one full-time employee to a team of 20, with products being deployed across NATO nations.
The Innovation Journey
For military personnel operating in hostile environments, detecting adversaries’ lasers is a vital capability. From artillery targeting systems to drones, sniper range finders and precision strike guided munitions, lasers pose an increasing threat on the modern battlefield.
This challenge inspired Sean Tipper and Chris Burgess, while working as scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), to develop a new approach to laser detection. Their innovation showed great promise during development at Dstl, where the core technology was conceived and initially tested.
“We worked on the core technology at Dstl for a number of years, developing the fundamental concepts,” explains Sean Tipper, now Chief Technology Officer at Sentinel Photonics. “We saw the potential for this technology to help protect our forces and founded Sentinel Photonics to take it to the next level of development and productisation.”
In 2019 the scientists and Ploughshare Innovations founded Sentinel Photonics to commercialise their invention, licencing the IP from Dstl and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The company formally began operations in late 2020 with the critical support of early Dstl funding through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA).
A new way of detecting lasers
Traditional laser warning systems rely on photodiodes that convert light to voltage, looking for rapid temporal changes. They look for quick, sharp changes, similar to how you can notice someone flicking a torch on and off in a dark room.
While effective for detecting laser pulses, they struggle with continuous wave lasers and can generate false alarms.
Sentinel’s breakthrough product, LASERD MAX (Laser Signal and Event Recording Device), uses a unique camera-based method that detects the spectral and spatial features of lasers. What sets LASERD MAX apart from conventional systems is its portability and comprehensive coverage. It doesn’t just monitor a narrow field of view but provides complete awareness.
Sentinel Photonics’ LASERD MAX system in action
“It’s more of an all-encompassing system,” explains Tipper. “It’s easy to detect one laser in one direction, but what makes our system unique is the ability to detect many different types of lasers simultaneously in a clustered background, even in challenging daylight conditions.”
The system can detect everything from drone LIDAR systems and artillery rangefinders to anti-tank guided missiles. It can also spot battlefield scanning systems that use invisible lasers to find hidden optics like sniper scopes.
“Our system can detect a broad range of laser threats,” says Tipper. “It’s novel because it’s portable and standalone, targeted for dismounted use and also at forward operating bases.”
The DASA and Dstl Impact
DASA and Dstl support proved instrumental at multiple points in Sentinel Photonics’ development journey. Their first DASA projects in late 2020 provided critical funding that allowed Tipper to work full-time on developing the technology.
“Those early DASA projects were really critical because that’s where I experimented with different sensors and camera systems and picked the exact sensors and optics we’re still using today,” says Tipper.
As Sentinel Photonics progressed with their innovation journey, they reached a critical point where they needed to grow their team to meet increasing demand and develop their technology further.
In 2022, DASA’s Defence Innovation Loans provided the perfect opportunity to take this next step.
The loan helped transform the organisation from a founder-led startup into a growing enterprise with the capabilities to deliver advanced defence technology.
“Without the Defence Innovation Loan, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver for Dstl, and we wouldn’t have had the resources to increase the size of our team,” Tipper notes.
Commercial Success
Sentinel Photonics’ progress has been remarkable. From just one person working part-time in 2020, the company has grown to 20 people by 2025. Their product line has expanded to include not just the LASERD MAX detection system but also products such as FROST (Filters for Reduction of Optical Signature Thresholds).
The FROST system, also developed with DASA funding and Dstl technical support, protects eyes from laser damage and prevents detection by scanning systems. This technology has achieved significant commercial success and has been integrated into the KS1 rifles that have entered service with UK Armed Forces through a partnership with Edgar Brothers, Sentinels UK partner, as part of the Hunter programme.
Sentinel Photonics’ FROST system installed on a KS1 scope
The company has also expanded its reach beyond the UK. “We’re expanding across Europe and NATO nations in general, finding partners to bring our products into those markets,” says Tipper. “There’s a direct link from DASA-funded work to us making sales and getting partners into markets.”
The SME has now established strategic collaborations with Glomex in Poland, TBM in the Netherlands, StarC4SIS in Romania and Precision Technic Defence Group in Denmark to add to its already established partnerships with Danger Solutions in Australia and Outervision in France.
The Collaborative Ecosystem
Sentinel’s story highlights the powerful collaboration between Dstl, DASA, and innovative small businesses. Dstl provided the foundation for the core technology and continues to work with Sentinel Photonics by providing technical support. DASA helped bridge the critical gap between concept and the commercially viable product.
For Sentinel, DASA’s involvement has offered more than just funding. “DASA has been a very useful mechanism to test ideas and feasibility within defence,” explains Tipper. “It gives us a way to understand how important what we’re developing is to potential users and get early sight of that as well.”
Looking ahead, Sentinel aims to shift from an R&D focused in its early years to a balanced commercial approach to increase their foothold in defence.
As threats continue to evolve on the modern battlefield, innovations like Sentinel’s laser detection systems and FROST system can play an increasingly vital role in protecting UK and coalition forces. Their journey from laboratory concept to battlefield protection demonstrates the importance of supporting promising defence technologies through the challenging path of commercialisation.
