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Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
Singapore government ministry
Singapore government ministry
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| agency_name | Ministry of Defence |
| motto | *Safeguarding Singapore's Peace* |
| seal | MINDEF crest.jpeg |
| seal_width | 200 px |
| formed | |
| preceding1 | Ministry of Interior and Defence |
| jurisdiction | Government of Singapore |
| headquarters | 303 Gombak Drive, MINDEF Building, Singapore (669645) |
| employees | 282 (2024) |
| budget | S$23.4 billion (USD$18.3b 2025) |
| minister1_name | Chan Chun Sing |
| minister1_pfo | Minister for Defence |
| minister2_name | Zaqy Mohamad |
| minister2_pfo | Senior Minister of State |
| minister3_name | Desmond Choo |
| minister3_pfo | |
| Minister of State | |
| chief1_name | Chan Heng Kee |
| chief1_position | |
| Permanent Secretary (Defence) | |
| Melvyn Ong | |
| chief2_name | BG Yew Chee Leung |
| chief2_position | |
| Deputy Secretary (Technology)/Future Systems and Technology Architect | |
| chief3_name | Elaine Ng |
| chief3_position | |
| Deputy Secretary (Administration) | |
| chief4_name | Tan Peng Yam |
| chief4_position | |
| Chief Defence Scientist | |
| chief5_name | BG Choo Wei Yee, Frederick |
| chief5_position | |
| Deputy Secretary (Policy) | |
| chief6_name | COL Clarence Cai Geren |
| chief6_position | |
| Defence Cyber Chief | |
| child1_agency | Defence Science and Technology Agency |
| website | |
| agency_id | T08GA0011B |
Minister of State Permanent Secretary (Defence) Melvyn Ong Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) Deputy Secretary (Technology)/Future Systems and Technology Architect Deputy Secretary (Administration) Chief Defence Scientist Deputy Secretary (Policy) Defence Cyber Chief
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF; ; 新加坡國防部; ) is a ministry under the Government of Singapore responsible for overseeing the national defence of Singapore.
History
MINDEF, together with the Ministry of Home Affairs, was created on 11 August 1970 by splitting up the then Ministry of Interior and Defence.
Responsibilities
MINDEF's mission is to "enhance Singapore's peace and security through deterrence and diplomacy, and should these fail, to secure a swift and decisive victory over the aggressor."
It has a policy of Total Defence which consists of Military Defence, Civil Defence, Economic Defence, Social Defence, Psychological Defence and Digital Defence involving the people, public and private sectors of the country.
Organisational structure
MINDEF has one statutory board, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), which consists of the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), is a military component of MINDEF.
The Security and Intelligence Division (SID), the foreign intelligence service of Singapore, is autonomous within the ministry.
Ministers
The Ministry is headed by the Minister for Defence (Minister for Interior and Defence from 1965 to 1970), who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore.
| Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | Cabinet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Goh Keng Swee, 1948.png | frameless | 148x148px]] | **Goh Keng Swee** | |
| MP for Kreta Ayer | |||||
| (1918–2010) | 9 August | ||||
| 1965 | 16 August | ||||
| 1967 | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Lim Kim San in the 1940s.jpg | frameless | 164x164px]] | **Lim Kim San** | |
| MP for Cairnhill | |||||
| (1916–2006) | 17 August | ||||
| 1967 | 10 August | ||||
| 1970 | |||||
| Lee K. III | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Goh Keng Swee, 1948.png | frameless | 148x148px]] | **Goh Keng Swee** | |
| MP for Kreta Ayer | |||||
| (1918–2010) | 11 August | ||||
| 1970 | 11 February | ||||
| 1979 | |||||
| Lee K. IV | |||||
| Lee K. V | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:3x4.svg | frameless | 133x133px]] | **Howe Yoon Chong** | |
| MP for Potong Pasir | |||||
| (1923–2007) | 12 February | ||||
| 1979 | 31 May | ||||
| 1982 | |||||
| Lee K. VI | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Goh Chok Tong 20080328.jpg | 100px]] | **Goh Chok Tong** | ||
| MP for Marine Parade (until 1988) and Marine Parade GRC (from 1988) | |||||
| (born 1941) | 1 June | ||||
| 1982 | 30 June | ||||
| 1991 | |||||
| Lee K. VII | |||||
| Lee K. VIII | |||||
| Goh I | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:3x4.svg | frameless | 133x133px]] | **Yeo Ning Hong** | |
| MP for Kampong Glam GRC | |||||
| (born 1943) | 1 July | ||||
| 1991 | 1 July | ||||
| 1994 | |||||
| Goh II | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Dr. Lee Boon Yang in New Delhi on January 25, 2005 (cropped).jpg | 106x106px]] | **Lee Boon Yang** | ||
| MP for Jalan Besar GRC | |||||
| (born 1947) | 2 July | ||||
| 1994 | 1 August | ||||
| 1995 | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Tony Tan Keng Yam cropp.jpg | 131x131px]] | **Tony Tan** | ||
| MP for Sembawang GRC | |||||
| (born 1940) | 2 August | ||||
| 1995 | 1 August | ||||
| 2003 | |||||
| Goh III | |||||
| Goh IV | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Teo Chee Hean 2.jpg | 127x127px]] | **Teo Chee Hean** | ||
| MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC | |||||
| (born 1954) | 2 August | ||||
| 2003 | 20 May | ||||
| 2011 | |||||
| Lee H. I | |||||
| Lee H. II | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Singapore Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen at the Pentagon, USA on July 15, 2024 (cropped).jpg | 134x134px]] | **Ng Eng Hen** | ||
| MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC | |||||
| (born 1958) | 21 May | ||||
| 2011 | 22 May | ||||
| 2025 | |||||
| Lee H. IV | |||||
| Lee H. V | |||||
| Wong I | |||||
| People's Action Party}};" | [[File:Chan Chun Sing in Singapore.jpg | 128x128px]] | **Chan Chun Sing** | ||
| MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC | |||||
| (born 1969) | 23 May | ||||
| 2025 | Incumbent |
References
References
- "Singapore Budget".
- "Singapore raises defense budget, readies new military acquisitions".
- "About Us: Mission". Ministry of Defence (Singapore).
- "MINDEF Departments".
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