# Ministry of Defense (Mongolia)

The Ministry of Defence of Mongolia (Mongolian: Монгол Улсын Батлан хамгаалах яам) is a ministry of the Government of Mongolia. According to the Law on the Defence of Mongolia, the Ministry is responsible for developing Defence Policy, coordinating its political, economic, social, legal and military implementation, and exercise civilian control over the Mongolian Armed Forces. The current Minister Gürsediin Saikhanbayar was appointed in July 2020.
The ministry has the following leadership structure:
* Minister of Defence
* Deputy Minister of Defence
* Secretary of State
According to the Law on the Armed forces, the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces is the professional managing body and the headquarters for the Mongolian Armed Forces and operates under the policies approved by the Ministry of Defence. The policies are also approved by the Government cabinet and the Parliament "Ikh Khural" of Mongolia.

## History

On 29 December 1911, Mongolia gained independence from the Manchu Empire, and established its first five ministries. One of the ministries was the Ministry of Military Affairs, which was one of the predecessors to the Ministry of Defence. From 1956 to 1959 the ministry took over the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1959 the latter again became independent agency again.
Since then, it has operated under the following names:
* Ministry of Military Affairs (1911–1919)
* Ministry of War (1921–1922)
* Ministry of Military Affairs of the People's Government of Mongolia (1922–1924)
* Ministry of Military Affairs of the Mongolian People's Republic (1924–1949)
* Ministry of Defence (1949–1956)
* Ministry of Military and Public Security (1956–1959)
* Ministry of People's Military Affairs (1959–1968)
* Ministry of Defence of the Mongolian People's Republic (1968–1992)
* Ministry of Defence of Mongolia (1992–present)

## Ministry structure

The ministry has the following structure:
* Strategic Policy and Implementation Directorate
* Public Administration Directorate
* Policy Implementation Coordination Directorate
* Foreign Cooperation Directorate
* Monitoring Evaluation and Internal Auditing Directorate

## Subordinate institutions/units

The following units/institutions are under the direct command of the Ministry of Defence:
* National Defense University – The MNDU is an accredited military university located in Ulaanbaatar and is the country's premier and oldest military educational institution. It prepares officers and NCOs to have grounded leadership skills as well as physical/moral strength.
* Institute for Strategic Studies – The institute was established in February 1990 as a strategic research centre under the Ministry of Defence. In May 2006, the government upgraded the institute's status to a separate research branch of the National Security Council of Mongolia (NSC), acting as a think tank institution.
* Cultural institutions/units
** Mongolian Military Song and Dance Academic Ensemble
** Mongolian Military Museum
* Central Archives – The Central Archives has data and documents which date back to the Mongolian Revolution of 1921. The military archives were set up by the Deputy Minister on 8 May 1939, coming into effect on 20 October. In the late 1950s, the government took concrete action to improve the orderly use of the preservation of the country's archives. In 1956, the Ministry of Defence appointed a spokesperson for the archives of the Mongolian People's Army. In the early 1980s, the Mongolian People's Army Central Archives was equipped with personnel who have professional and vocational training and an advanced post-secondary education and in 1988, a new building was created due to the expansion of the archives. Since 2006, it has been under the control of the defence ministry.
* "Baga Bayan" Peace Resort – Established in 1932, it is a living centre and retirement home for elderly veterans of military service.
* State Department Store of the Ministry of Defence "Börte"

## List of ministers of defence

Since July 1996, the ministry has been led by a civilian official.

### Bogd Khanate

| No. | Portrait | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party |
| 1 | | Dalai Van Gombosuren (1884–1914) | 1911 | 1914 | 2–3 years | n/a |
| 2 | | Tögs-Ochiryn Namnansüren (1878–1919) | 1914 | 1919 | 4–5 years | n/a |

### Mongolian People's Republic

| No. | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party |
| 3 | Sükhbaatar, DamdinDamdin Sükhbaatar (1893–1923) | 11 July 1921 | 1 December 1922 | 1 year, 143 days | MPP |
| 4 | Magsarjav, KhatanbaatarColonel general Khatanbaatar Magsarjav (1877–1927) | 1922 | 1927 † | 4–5 years | MPP |
| 5 | Choibalsan, KhorloogiinMarshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Khorloogiin Choibalsan (1895–1952) | 1927 | 1929 | 1–2 years | MPP |
| 6 | Demid, GelegdorjiinMarshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Gelegdorjiin Demid (1900–1937) | 1930 | 22 August 1937 † | 6–7 years | MPP |
| 7 | Choibalsan, KhorloogiinMarshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Khorloogiin Choibalsan (1895–1952) | 1937 | 26 January 1952 † | 14–15 years | MPP |
| 8 | Janchiv, TsedengiinLieutenant general Tsedengiin Janchiv (1914–1993) | 1950 | 1952 | 1–2 years | MPP |
| 9 | Bataa, SanjiinColonel general Sanjiin Bataa (1915–1982) | 1952 | 1956 | 3–4 years | MPP |
| 10 | Dorj, BatynColonel general Batyn Dorj (1914–1982) | 1956 | 1959 | 2–3 years | MPP |
| 11 | Lhagvasuren, ZhamyangiynColonel general Zhamyangiyn Lhagvasuren (1912–1982) | 28 June 1959 | July 1969 | 10 years | MPP |
| 12 | Dorj, BatynGeneral of the Army Batyn Dorj (1914–1982) | July 1969 | 1978 | 8–9 years | MPP |
| 13 | Avkhia, JarantynColonel general Jarantyn Avkhia (1923–1992) | 1978 | 1982 | 3–4 years | MPP |
| 14 | Jondon, JamsrangijnColonel general Jamsrangijn Jondon (1923–1992) | 1982 | 1989 | 6–7 years | MPP |
| 15 | Molomjamts, LuvsangombynLieutenant general Luvsangombyn Molomjamts [mn] (born 1935) | 1989 | September 1990 | 0–1 years | MPP |

### Modern era

| No. | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party |
| 16 | Jadamba, ShagalynLieutenant general Shagalyn Jadamba (born 1940) | September 1990 | July 1996 | 5 years, 10 months | MPP |
| 17 | Dorligjav, DambynDambyn Dorligjav (First civilian to hold this post) | 19 July 1996 | 23 April 1998 | 1 year, 278 days | Democratic |
| 18 | Odonbaatar, RenchinsambuugiinRenchinsambuugiin Odonbaatar | 23 April 1998 | January 1999 | 8 months | Democratic |
| 19 | Tüvdendorj, SharavdorjiinSharavdorjiin Tüvdendorj | January 1999 | August 2000 | 1 year, 7 months | Democratic |
| 20 | Gürragchaa, JügderdemidiinMajor general Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa (born 1947) | 9 August 2000 | 20 August 2004 | 4 years | MPP |
| 21 | Erdenebat, BadarchiinBadarchiin Erdenebat | 20 August 2004 | 18 March 2005 | 210 days | Motherland |
| 22 | Sharavdorj, TserenkhüügiinTserenkhüügiin Sharavdorj | 18 March 2005 | 28 January 2006 | 316 days | MPP |
| 23 | Sonompil, MishigiinMishigiin Sonompil (born 1965) | 28 January 2006 | 5 December 2007 | 1 year, 311 days | Mongolian National Democratic Party (2005) |
| 24 | Batkhuyag, JamyandorjiinJamyandorjiin Batkhuyag | 5 December 2007 | September 2008 | 8 months | MPP |
| 25 | Bold, LuvsanvandangiinLuvsanvandangiin Bold [mn] (born 1961) | September 2008 | January 2012 | 3 years, 4 months | Democratic |
| 26 | Enkhbayar, JadambaJadambyn Enkhbayar (born 1973) | 27 January 2012 | 17 August 2012 | 203 days | MPP |
| 27 | Bat, DashdemberelDashdembereliin Bat-Erdene (born 1963) | 17 August 2012 | 10 December 2014 | 2 years, 115 days | Democratic |
| 28 | Tsolmon, TserendashTserendashiin Tsolmon | 10 December 2014 | 23 July 2016 | 1 year, 226 days | MPRP |
| 29 | Bat-Erdene, BadmaanyambuuBadmaanyambuugiin Bat-Erdene (born 1964) | 23 July 2016 | 20 October 2017 | 1 year, 89 days | MPP |
| 30 | Enkhbold, NyamaagiinNyamaagiin Enkhbold (born 1957) | 20 October 2017 | 8 July 2020 | 2 years, 262 days | MPP |
| 31 | Saikhanbayar, GürsedBrigadier general Gürsediin Saikhanbayar (born 1968) | 8 July 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 249 days | MPP |