Caleb Larson

Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war's shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war's civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.

Ukraine War

Lockheed’s Next Interceptor Will Cost Less Than Half as Much as Today’s — but Production Is Three Years Out, and Missiles Fall Now

Lockheed Martin says its new PAC-3 ACE interceptor will cost less than half as much as today's $4 million missiles — but production is...

Caleb LarsonJuly 20, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Explosions Just Rocked the Air Base That Houses Russia’s Strategic Bomber Fleet — and Moscow Isn’t Saying What Happened There

Ukrainian drones reportedly struck Engels-2 air base in Saratov Oblast, home to the Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers that launch cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities...

Caleb LarsonJuly 18, 2026

(Dec. 01, 2020) - The guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) launches a Block V Tomahawk, the weapon’s newest variant, during a missile exercise. This event marked the first time a Block V Tomahawk missile was operationally tested, marking the Navy’s transition to a more advanced capability for the fleet. Block V includes an upgrade that will enhance navigation performance and provide robust and reliable communications. Chafee is currently assigned to Carrier Strike Group ONE and is homeported in Pearl Harbor. (U.S. Navy photo by Ens. Sean Ianno/Released)

The Treaty

The Iran War Just Entered a More Dangerous Phase — Six Straight Nights of US Strikes, and Retaliation Felt From Bahrain to Jordan

The Iran war has entered a more dangerous phase: six consecutive nights of US airstrikes on missile sites, coastal defenses, and energy infrastructure, answered...

Caleb LarsonJuly 18, 2026

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Wash. (Aug. 14, 2003) -- Illustration of USS Ohio (SSGN 726) which is undergoing a conversion from a Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) to a Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN) designation. Ohio has been out of service since Oct. 29, 2002 for conversion to SSGN at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Four Ohio-class strategic missile submarines, USS Ohio (SSBN 726), USS Michigan (SSBN 727) USS Florida (SSBN 728), and USS Georgia (SSBN 729) have been selected for transformation into a new platform, designated SSGN. The SSGNs will have the capability to support and launch up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, a significant increase in capacity compared to other platforms. The 22 missile tubes also will provide the capability to carry other payloads, such as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Special Forces equipment. This new platform will also have the capability to carry and support more than 66 Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) and insert them clandestinely into potential conflict areas. U.S. Navy illustration. (RELEASED)

Dollars and Sense

The Gulf States Are Racing to Build Their Way Around Iran’s Grip on Hormuz — Pipeline by Pipeline, Toward Ports Outside the Strait

The UAE is doubling its Fujairah pipeline capacity, Saudi Arabia is expanding its Red Sea line, and Iraq is reviving Basra-Haditha — all to...

Caleb LarsonJuly 17, 2026

Donald Trump Back in 2025 White House Photo

Dollars and Sense

The World Has More Crude Oil Than It Can Use — and Still Can’t Make Enough Gasoline, Diesel, and Jet Fuel to Go Around

The world isn't short of oil — it's short of refineries, and two wars are why cheap crude won't mean cheap gas anytime soon.

Caleb LarsonJuly 17, 2026

President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the F11 PRIORITY Summit at the Faena Forum in Miami, Florida on Friday, March 27, 2026.(Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Dollars and Sense

Trump Has a Problem in the Strait of Hormuz: Five Months Into the Iran War, Every Option Left on the Table Makes Things Worse

Trump declared America 'The Guardian of the Hormuz Strait' and demanded a 20 percent charge on cargo — then reversed within a day, shifting...

Caleb LarsonJuly 16, 2026

Putin in 2021 Image Credit Creative Commons

Ukraine War

Russia Was One of the World’s Top Oil Exporters — Now It’s Importing Gasoline From Belarus and India Just to Keep Its Pumps Running

Satellite imagery analyzed by RFE/RL shows Russia has stripped air defense batteries from Arctic installations — including the region that builds its nuclear submarines...

Caleb LarsonJuly 16, 2026

Putin Speaking With Leader of Belarus Russian Federation Photo

Ukraine War

In 2018, This Russian Ship Attacked Ukrainian Sailors in the Kerch Strait — a Ukrainian Robot Boat Just Sank It

Ukraine's Navy says a Sargan-3000 naval drone sank the FSB patrol ship Izumrud near Novorossiysk — the same vessel that attacked Ukrainian sailors in...

Caleb LarsonJuly 15, 2026

An Estonian Defense Forces M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a training rocket during a live-fire exercise in Undva, Estonia, July 11, 2025. U.S. Army elements from Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, supporting Task Force Voit, assisted in the training process. The task force was originally formed in 2023 to support the Estonian Defense Forces in the creation of a HIMARS unit. Task Force Voit works closely with the Estonian Armed Forces, sharing critical defense strategies, training, and military readiness support. The presence of U.S. troops in the region serves as a cornerstone of NATO’s commitment to security in the Baltic region. The task force provides combat-credible forces to V Corps, America’s only forward-deployed corps in Europe. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rose Di Trolio)

Ukraine War

Ukraine Isn’t Trying to Sink Russia’s Ships — It’s Wrecking Their Engines and Cranes So They Rot in Place

Ukraine's drones have hit 116 vessels in nine days — deliberately wrecking propulsion and loading gear to disable rather than sink, one industry source...

Caleb LarsonJuly 15, 2026

National Security Journal

Caleb Larson

Ukraine War

Lockheed’s Next Interceptor Will Cost Less Than Half as Much as Today’s — but Production Is Three Years Out, and Missiles Fall Now

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Explosions Just Rocked the Air Base That Houses Russia’s Strategic Bomber Fleet — and Moscow Isn’t Saying What Happened There

The Treaty

The Iran War Just Entered a More Dangerous Phase — Six Straight Nights of US Strikes, and Retaliation Felt From Bahrain to Jordan

Dollars and Sense

The Gulf States Are Racing to Build Their Way Around Iran’s Grip on Hormuz — Pipeline by Pipeline, Toward Ports Outside the Strait

Dollars and Sense

The World Has More Crude Oil Than It Can Use — and Still Can’t Make Enough Gasoline, Diesel, and Jet Fuel to Go Around

Dollars and Sense

Trump Has a Problem in the Strait of Hormuz: Five Months Into the Iran War, Every Option Left on the Table Makes Things Worse

Ukraine War

Russia Was One of the World’s Top Oil Exporters — Now It’s Importing Gasoline From Belarus and India Just to Keep Its Pumps Running

Ukraine War

In 2018, This Russian Ship Attacked Ukrainian Sailors in the Kerch Strait — a Ukrainian Robot Boat Just Sank It

Ukraine War

Ukraine Isn’t Trying to Sink Russia’s Ships — It’s Wrecking Their Engines and Cranes So They Rot in Place

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