The LOWDOWN
The LOWDOWN Podcast delivers a weekly intelligence briefing designed for military professionals, analysts, and strategic thinkers. Each episode summarizes the most critical open-source developments related to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, covering real-world reporting across diplomatic, military, economic, cyber, and information warfare domains. With a clean, voice-ready format and zero fluff, The LOWDOWN helps you stay mission-focused with timely, fact-driven updates. Whether you're prepping an intel brief, tracking adversary TTPs, or just need the facts without the noise—this is your weekly OSINT download.
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Episodes
14 episodes
Strategic Brinkmanship: From China's Modular Missile Ships and the U.S. Blockade of Venezuela to Global Nuclear and Aviation Advancements
China has outfitted a cargo ship with 60 modular missile cells and radar, demonstrating a capability to convert its merchant fleet into improvised arsenal ships. In Iran, purpose-built hardened shelters for Su-35 fighters are near...
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Season 25
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Episode 1226
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14:48
Report to Congress on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2025
This episode breaks down the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2025 report to Congress on People’s Republic of China, assessing how Beijing is accelerating military modernization, coercive force employment, and global power projection to supp...
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Season 2025
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Episode 1224
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35:44
Caribbean GPS Jamming, Chinese ICBMs, Iran Rebuilding Missile Program, Oreshniks for Belarus, and a Look Back at Op JUST CAUSE
This episode assesses intensifying global security pressures driven by concurrent crises in the Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe, with emphasis on great-power risk management under escalation. China is shown maintaining a delibe...
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Season 2025
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Episode 1223
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24:44
Escalation Signals: Russia’s Nuclear Posture, Taiwan Arms Surge, and U.S. Military Pressure in the Western Hemisphere
On 19 December, Ukraine reported drones from the 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade (“Black Forest”) destroyed two Russian S-400 “Triumf” launchers in Belgorod Oblast, targeting a system operated by Russia’s 568th Anti-Aircraft Miss...
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Season 2025
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Episode 1219
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9:48
Venezuela’s Blockade Crisis, China’s Tech Revolution, and the Reshaping of Conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East
Correction: Blockade order was issued on 16 December 2025, not 17 December 2025.I. Venezuela: Blockade and EscalationThe central crisis is the escalation of Operation Southern Spear, which has shifted from c...
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Season 2025
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Episode 1218
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9:56
Blockades, Terror Labels, and Hypersonic Reach: Venezuela Oil Seizures, Russia-Ukraine Escalation, China’s New Airlift, and the Next Phase of Global Power Competition
References.https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/12/how-venezuelas-maduro-became-was...
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14:12
Insider Killings in Syria, Ukraine Hits Russian Kilo Sub with UUV, and China’s CH-7 Stealth Drone Takes Flight
References:https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-15...
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Season 2025
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Episode 1216
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14:33
Falling Behind the Algorithm: U.S. AI Autonomy Gaps, Space EW Escalation, SiAW Momentum, T-7 Delivery, Ukraine SITREP, and Iran's New Moral Order
This episode sponsored by Bad Intelligence. Find your new favorite work shirt at http://etsy.com/shop/BadIntelligenceReferences
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17:48
20251214 LOWDOWN
Factor reporting and analysis for 14 December 2025. Sponsored by Bad Intelligence. Find your new favorite work shirt at - https://www.etsy.com/shop/BadIntelligenceReferences
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Season 2025
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Episode 1214
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37:05
The LOWDOWN - Axis in Motion: Russia’s War, China’s Push, and Allied Readiness - 18 Aug 2025
This week’s LOWDOWN unpacks the shifting balance of power across multiple theaters:Russia continues grinding forward in Ukraine with drone-heavy assaults and manpower-driven tactics, betting that Western fatigue will erode su...
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23:20
The LOWDOWN: China’s Shadow Moves, Russia’s War Calculus, Iran’s Nuclear Gambit, and North Korea’s Cyber Mercenaries – Aug 5–11, 2025
Stay ahead of the week’s most critical national security developments. In this episode of The LOWDOWN, we break down the latest from August 5–11, 2025 — with a sharp focus on China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.C...
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Season 2025
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14:50
The LOWDOWN Podcast — 4 August 2025: Global Threats, Drone Wars, and the Rise of a New Axis
This week on The LOWDOWN, host Josh Patten delivers a hard-hitting OSINT briefing packed with critical updates from the front lines of global conflict. From Russia's nuclear threats and Ukraine’s deep-strike drone campaign to China's s...
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Season 2025
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32:10
27 July 2025 // Frontlines and Fault Lines: Russia's War, China's Leverage, and North Korea's Expansion
In this week’s episode, Russia flexes global reach with its largest naval drills in decades while adapting force generation tactics and pushing armored assaults in Ukraine. North Korea’s frontline role deepens as thousands of DPRK troops and we...
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23:58
