Michael Petersen is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) and an expert in Russian military strategy and operations as well as net assessments of high-intensity conflict. He is currently Principal Research Scientist in the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses. Previously, he served as senior advisor to the US Chief of Naval Operations and was founding director of the Russia Maritime Studies Institute and Holloway Advanced Research Program at the US Naval War College. Prior to these appointments, he served with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council.

Petersen is the author of books, reports, articles, and essays on Russian military operational thought, maritime and naval strategy, military intelligence history, and strategic weapons history. His media appearances include CBS News, CNN, and the BBC. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is proficient in German and Russian.