Robert Peters is a Research Fellow for Nuclear Deterrence and Missile Defense in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security.

Prior to joining Heritage, Peters served as the lead strategist at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, where he oversaw the office that developed the Agency’s five-year strategy, conducted the Agency’s research and tabletop exercise program, and executed Agency-level program evaluations. Leading a team of forty-two people, Peters revamped the research function within the Agency and oversaw the Department of Defense’s Track 1.5 and Track 2 strategic dialogues with allies and partners.

For many years, Peters served as a Senior Research Fellow at National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, where he focused on nuclear deterrence issues, countering weapons of mass destruction, and counterproliferation. 

In the first Obama Administration, Peters served as the Special Advisor for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he worked on the New START nuclear arms control treaty, the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review, and the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review.

In addition, Peters held positions at Northrop Grumman and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

A prolific writer, Peters’ published works include examinations of the impact of Chinese nuclear expansion and Russian withdrawal from arms control, the prospect for future arms control, the need for a new nuclear posture review, and the mission to eliminate North Korean weapons of mass destruction.

Within Heritage, Peters’ portfolio includes the need to strengthen strategic stability and deterrence through an effective nuclear arsenal, the need for a robust and multi-domain missile defense capability, and the prospects for future arms control.

A graduate of Miami University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Peters has lectured at National War College, Missouri State University, Army War College, and the United States Naval Academy. 

Peters and his wife have two children and live outside the beltway in Maryland. In his free time, he serves as the Scoutmaster for his son’s Boy Scout troop, teaches his daughter how to cook, and reads.