Welcome to the P.D.B. Situation report. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right. Let's get briefed. First up, the U.S. Downs an Iranian drone in

international waters. It's the first direct kinetic encounter of a new and potentially dangerous

phase with Tehran. We'll be joined by retired Rear Admiral Mike Studeman for more on that. Later in the

show, China's military is facing fresh upheaval as Xi Jinping expands

his purge of senior officers, tightening control amid growing concerns inside the People's Liberation

Army, the PLA. Jan Yerkeke, senior editor of the Epoch Times, stops by to give us insight into what's

happening at the highest levels of power in Beijing.

But first, today's situation report spotlight.

This week, U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone after it approached a U.S. aircraft carrier

operating in international waters.

According to U.S. Central Command, the drone's intent was unclear, but its flight bath and behavior were aggressive

enough to trigger a defensive response. No damage was reported, but the message was unmistakable. U.S.

forces will protect the fleet. The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions, of course,

with U.S. naval assets operating in crowded, contested waterways, where a miscalculation

can escalate fast. It also raises questions about how Iran tests limits without crossing red lines.

For more on this, I want to bring in retired rear admiral Mike Studevon, former commander of the

Office of Naval Intelligence. He's also the author of the book, Might of the Chain, Forging

Leaders of Iron Integrity. Sir, thank you very much for taking the time here on the Situation Report.

Hey, Mike, good seeing you again. Can't wait for your hard questions. Well, stand by. I'm sure I'll

come up with one or two. But first, you know what, before we even do any of that, tell me about the book

a little bit, if you could. Can you give the viewers a quick summary of what it's about

and why you wrote it? Well, I retired two and a half years ago. I was very passionate about leadership.

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