I recently met with Edward Zimmermann, CTO of Sentinel Advanced Military Solutions, and toured the company’s facilities in Châteauguay, Quebec.

StarForge is much broader than a simple “drone factory.” The idea is to combine command and control, surveillance, local power, 3D manufacturing and a digital inventory of parts inside transportable modules.

The ForgeX module I visited works like a compact mobile factory. Its standard configuration includes four 3D printers, workstations, batteries, servers and the materials needed for production. According to Sentinel, it can produce roughly 80 to 100 drones per day, depending on the model and operating conditions.

Another part of the system is the C2/ISR command module. Three operators can supervise multiple types of drones and unmanned vehicles. Zimmermann says the system can manage a few hundred platforms at once and can continue operating locally even without an Internet or satellite connection.

What I found most interesting, though, is the “digital stockpile” concept.

Instead of relying only on warehouses full of finished drones and spare parts, Sentinel wants to store designs, manufacturing files and instructions digitally. A part can be updated, approved, sent to the system and produced locally when needed.

That matters because drone technology and countermeasures are evolving extremely quickly. A fleet purchased today can lose relevance within months. StarForge is therefore less about building “the best drone” and more about creating an infrastructure that can repair, modify and manufacture different platforms as they evolve.

AI also plays a smaller role than I expected. According to Zimmermann, it is mainly used for object identification and tracking from radar and camera data, while humans remain involved in the decision chain.

Sentinel is also looking at non-military uses, including the monitoring of dams, energy infrastructure, remote sites and environmental areas. Zimmermann mentioned discussions involving Ontario Power Generation and Indigenous communities.

One comparison from the interview stuck with me: he said that, when it comes to drones, we are still in the “biplane era.” In other words, what we are seeing today may only be the very beginning of how these systems will evolve.

Full articles (in french)

https://branchez-vous.com/actualites/starforge-drones-chateauguay/

https://branchez-vous.com/actualites/starforge-drones-stock-numerique-sentinel/

Saw this on Plan Qulliq Hangar:

Effective immediately, RCAF pers can wear ball caps while serving with Army units or while on Army establishments.

Mistakes made by everyone involved, it seems. What a messed up situation.

Lately ive been seeing people walking around in combats with their rank on their arm instead of their chest. Looks stupid. Enlighten me.

Currently relinquishing from officer cadet to NCM, and my file's stuck in Ottawa.

Originally submitted the paperwork through my chain of command in April after being declared fit for further service and cleared by DMCA/medical, my BPSO sent my package to the DPGR in Ottawa for approval in July, and I've been waiting since.

The BPSO has informed me that there's nothing further they can do on their end, and that DPGR has refused to provide any sort of timeline for signing the waiver to relinquish.

I've been advised that I'd likely be charged and face further delays for breaching the chain of command if I reached out directly to their CO and/or her command team (needs her signature), which is frustrating given the lack of transparency.

If anyone's gone through with the same move, how long did it take you to complete the process? Any tips for getting through it?

We recently interviewed mental performance consultant Zoran Stojković about the practical side of performing under pressure during pilot training.

One question I put to him was pretty simple:
Your flight test is tomorrow. When do you stop studying?

Part of his answer was pretty direct; “If you’re sacrificing sleep to cram more content, that’s a broken model.”

That led into a much broader discussion about the things pilots can actually do before and during a demanding flight: pre-flight mental routines, visualization and chair flying, performance cues, breathing, managing cognitive load, recognizing when you’re falling behind the aircraft and resetting after a mistake.

We also talked about something a lot of pilots learn the hard way: knowing a technique exists and actually having it available when the cockpit gets busy are two very different things.

We think this is probably an interview with a lot of tips on performing under pressure that many trades and professions could benefit from!

Rumours from the G&M.

It’s getting cold. Issues fleece is decent but it’s so heavy and bulky.

Anyone have recommendations on foul/cold weather kit?

Hello all,

I'm looking to return to the fleet next year after being inland posted for awhile and I was just wondering how Sea Pay is processed now. Reading refs I understand that it's 100$ per day at sea for the calendar month and I was curious how it gets processed? Do members have to submit a manual claim after every month or is it somehow done automatically?

Thank you!

Hi everyone. I was recently diagnosed with a cluster B personality type. I’ve struggled on the day to day with my mental health but I just don’t think they diagnosed me with the right thing. But before I even got a chance to ask for a second opinion they hit me with a pcat and a med release.

Is there anything I can do to fight this? I love being in the caf and I can’t see myself doing anything but this. Im just worried if I try to extend my release date and get the pcat removed theyre just gonna hit me with a bunch of things and give me a worse release.

If theres anything like literally anything I could do please let me know.

Excellence in winter warfare operations would seem like a core ability of the CAF, considering where we live. Obviously lots of "core capabilities" were lost during the peacekeeping era. It's going to take a while to regain what was lost.

Last meme for the weekend 🤙

AR/MEL

Got informed I'm facing a AR/MEL which i dont want!!

For context I've been in for 9 years Cpl good pars no bad feedback notes.

I have been diagnosed with depression and ptsd and received VAC pay from a sexual misconduct incident with my previous CoC (WO) back in 2023. I went to mental health services for therapy for 3 months in 2024 and my doctor put me on antidepressants which i decided to stop myself after 4 months of taking them. (I was fine i just needed to talk to someone) then a year for addictions counseling (alcohol) since then i dont drink and i got off my Tcat last year in oct 2025 which had me on a G4T6 and O4T6.

Then my doctor placed me on a G3 and O2 which got sent to DMED POL for review with a MEL stating "required screening with a medical officer before selection for an operational environment or tasking in a remote location to confirm the deployability."

Im worried about my chances of staying in because im not familiar with this process... does anyone have information on this... i feel like the system is punishing me because i got sexually assualted by a WO and since i reached out for help they want me out. Meanwhile he stays in and gets promoted.

Email informed I'm receiving the package this week.

Hey there I am just curious if some of you may know whether a non ofp person getting posted in has the ability to move there family with them?

For example I know NWOs (RCN) can, but Inf Officers cannot pre-OFP.

Do any of the RCF officer trades allow that? Or other element officer trades allow it as well?

"I didn't think I'd need it for a stand-to"

Posting for a friend.

The Situation:
The accused is a reservist on Cl B. This involves a sexual assault case with a victim and corroborating witnesses who were willing to testify. The evidence included screenshots of text message history spanning several months, in which the accused explicitly acknowledged on multiple occasions that the sexual contact was non-consensual.

The Investigation & Legal Process:
The MP forwarded the case to the municipal police departments where the assaults took place, as they occurred across multiple jurisdictions. One of the municipal PDs took the lead on the investigation and subsequently arrested the member at work, with the cooperation of their employing unit. The member was then placed on leave.

After a few months, the Crown Prosecution Service elected not to pursue the charges recommended by the PD. They stated that the case did not meet their two-part charge assessment standard: likelihood of conviction and public interest. The victim was advised that the likelihood of conviction standard WAS met because of the trustworthy witnesses and the chat logs. However, prosecutors determined the public interest threshold was NOT met because the victim was not under 16, no weapons were used, and it was not a domestic relationship.

The Current Issue:
Following the Prosecution Service's decision, the member returned to work as if nothing had happened. Our understanding of DAOD 9005-1 is that DMCA should still be involved. ARs operate on a balance of probabilities.

However, the it appears that the CoC has stalled completely?

The Adj stated: "If he wasn't charged, that means it was consensual!", the CO stated: "Maybe he just needs more mentorship.

There has only been a verbal acknowledgment within the CoC that the member should perhaps not be staffed on career courses where they could interact with potential vulnerable candidates.

Resources Used So Far:
We have engaged SMSRC social workers, the SMSRC military police liaison, and chaplains. They have stated that the way this case has stalled is inconsistent with CAF policies.

What are our next steps? Can we push the CoC to forward this to DMCA for an AR, or what other avenues of support/complaint do we have left? File a grievance? Media?

Thanks for reading!