# Ministry of Defence (Singapore)

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF; Malay: Kementerian Pertahanan; Chinese: 新加坡國防部; Tamil: தற்காப்பு அமைச்சு) 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, who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore.
| Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Party | Cabinet |
| Goh Keng Swee MP for Kreta Ayer (1918–2010) | 9 August 1965 | 16 August 1967 | PAP | Lee K. II |
| Lim Kim San MP for Cairnhill (1916–2006) | 17 August 1967 | 10 August 1970 | PAP | Lee K. II |
| Lim Kim San MP for Cairnhill (1916–2006) | 17 August 1967 | 10 August 1970 | PAP | Lee K. III |
| Goh Keng Swee MP for Kreta Ayer (1918–2010) | 11 August 1970 | 11 February 1979 | PAP | Lee K. III |
| Goh Keng Swee MP for Kreta Ayer (1918–2010) | 11 August 1970 | 11 February 1979 | PAP | Lee K. IV |
| Goh Keng Swee MP for Kreta Ayer (1918–2010) | 11 August 1970 | 11 February 1979 | PAP | Lee K. V |
| Howe Yoon Chong MP for Potong Pasir (1923–2007) | 12 February 1979 | 31 May 1982 | PAP | Lee K. V |
| Howe Yoon Chong MP for Potong Pasir (1923–2007) | 12 February 1979 | 31 May 1982 | PAP | Lee K. VI |
| Goh Chok Tong MP for Marine Parade SMC & Marine Parade GRC (born 1941) | 1 June 1982 | 30 June 1991 | PAP | Lee K. VI |
| Goh Chok Tong MP for Marine Parade SMC & Marine Parade GRC (born 1941) | 1 June 1982 | 30 June 1991 | PAP | Lee K. VII |
| Goh Chok Tong MP for Marine Parade SMC & Marine Parade GRC (born 1941) | 1 June 1982 | 30 June 1991 | PAP | Lee K. VIII |
| Goh Chok Tong MP for Marine Parade SMC & Marine Parade GRC (born 1941) | 1 June 1982 | 30 June 1991 | PAP | Goh I |
| Yeo Ning Hong MP for Kim Seng SMC & Kampong Glam GRC (born 1943) | 1 July 1991 | 1 July 1994 | PAP | Goh I |
| Yeo Ning Hong MP for Kim Seng SMC & Kampong Glam GRC (born 1943) | 1 July 1991 | 1 July 1994 | PAP | Goh II |
| Lee Boon Yang MP for Jalan Besar GRC (born 1947) | 2 July 1994 | 1 August 1995 | PAP | Goh II |
| Tony Tan MP for Sembawang GRC (born 1940) | 2 August 1995 | 1 August 2003 | PAP | Goh II |
| Tony Tan MP for Sembawang GRC (born 1940) | 2 August 1995 | 1 August 2003 | PAP | Goh III |
| Tony Tan MP for Sembawang GRC (born 1940) | 2 August 1995 | 1 August 2003 | PAP | Goh IV |
| Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) | 2 August 2003 | 20 May 2011 | PAP | Goh IV |
| Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) | 2 August 2003 | 20 May 2011 | PAP | Lee H. I |
| Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) | 2 August 2003 | 20 May 2011 | PAP | Lee H. II |
| Ng Eng Hen MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (born 1958) | 21 May 2011 | Incumbent | PAP | Lee H. III |
| Ng Eng Hen MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (born 1958) | 21 May 2011 | Incumbent | PAP | Lee H. IV |
| Ng Eng Hen MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (born 1958) | 21 May 2011 | Incumbent | PAP | Lee H. V |
| Ng Eng Hen MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (born 1958) | 21 May 2011 | Incumbent | PAP | Wong I |