The Ministry of Defense (; abbrevriated MINDEF) of Argentina is a ministry of the national executive power that oversees and advises on matters of national defense, including overseeing the Argentine Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defense is one of the oldest ministries in the Argentine government, having existed continuously since the formation of the first Argentine executive in 1854, in the presidency of Justo José de Urquiza (then known as the Ministry of War). The incumbent minister since 10 December 2025 is Lieutenant General Carlos Presti, who had until then served as chief of the general staff of the Army and was appointed by president Javier Milei, becoming the first defense minister to come from a military background since the end of military rule in the country in 1983.

History Traditionally the minister of Defense, as the Joint chiefs of Staff (Spanish: Estado Mayor Conjunto) which traces back its origin to 1948 had a minor role in all armed forces activities, relegating key decisions to the respectives chiefs of staff.RESEÑA HISTÓRICA DEL ESTADO MAYOR CONJUNTO

A major change came into effect on 12 June 2006 when President Néstor Kirchner brought into effect the Defense Law, which had been passed in 1988 as a means to modernize the doctrine of the armed forces and define their role, although successive governments had failed to put it into effect.

The law states that the armed forces will only be used against foreign aggression, and reduces the powers of the heads of the armed services, centralizing whole operational and acquisitions decisions under the authority of the minister of Defense through the Armed Forces Joint General Staff emphasizing Jointness

Structure Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas (EMC): Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces Secretaría de Estrategia y Asuntos Militares: Strategy and Military Affairs Secretary Secretaría de Planeamiento: Planning Secretary Secretaría de Asuntos Internacionales de la Defensa: Defense Foreign Affairs Secretary Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia Estratégica Militar: National Directory for Military Intelligence Dirección Nacional de Derechos Humanos y el Derecho Internacional Humanitario: National Directory for Human Rights CITEDEF (former CITEFA) Industrial Complex: (FadeA, Fabricaciones Militares, Tandanor/Domecq Garcia)

List of ministers No. Minister Party Term President Ministry of War and the Navy (1854–1898) 1 Rudecindo Alvarado Unitarian Party 5 March 1854 – 7 November 1854 Justo José de Urquiza 2 José Miguel Galán Federalist Party 7 November 1854 – 5 March 1860 3 Benjamín Victorica Federalist Party 5 March 1860 – 5 November 1861 Santiago Derqui 4 Pastor Obligado Nationalist Party December 1851 – 12 October 1862 Bartolomé Mitre 5 Juan Andrés Gelly y Obes Nationalist Party 12 October 1862 – November 1867 6 Wenceslao Paunero Nationalist Party 1 February 1868 – 12 October 1868 7 Martín de Gainza Nationalist Party 12 October 1868 – 12 October 1874 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento 8 Adolfo Alsina National Autonomist Party 12 October 1874 – 29 December 1877 Nicolás Avellaneda 9 Julio Argentino Roca National Autonomist Party 4 January 1878 – 9 October 1879 10 Carlos Pellegrini National Autonomist Party 9 October 1879 – 12 October 1880 11 Benjamín Victorica National Autonomist Party 12 October 1880 – 11 July 1885 Julio Argentino Roca 12 Carlos Pellegrini National Autonomist Party 11 July 1885 – 12 October 1886 13 Nicolás Levalle Independent 12 October 1886 – 15 January 1887 Miguel Juárez Celman 14 Eduardo Racedo National Autonomist Party 15 January 1887 – 12 April 1890 15 Nicolás Levalle Independent 18 April 1890 – 6 August 1890 6 August 1890 – 12 October 1892 Carlos Pellegrini 16 Benjamín Victorica National Autonomist Party 12 October 1892 – 7 June 1893 Luis Sáenz Peña 17 Joaquín Viejobueno Independent 7 June 1893 – 27 June 1893 18 Eudoro Balsa National Autonomist Party 27 June 1893 – 5 July 1893 19 Aristóbulo del Valle Radical Civic Union 5 July 1893 – 12 August 1893 20 Luis María Campos Independent 12 August 1893 – 7 November 1894 21 Eudoro Balsa National Autonomist Party 7 November 1894 – 23 January 1895 23 January 1895 – 29 August 1895 José Evaristo Uriburu 22 Guillermo Villanueva Independent 29 August 1895 – 19 May 1897 23 Nicolás Levalle Independent 19 May 1897 – 12 October 1898 Ministry of War (1898–1949) 24 Luis María Campos Independent 12 October 1898 – 8 August 1899 Julio Argentino Roca 25 Rosendo Fraga National Autonomist Party 8 August 1899 – 13 July 1900 26 Pablo Ricchieri Independent 13 July 1900 – 12 October 1904 27 Enrique Godoy National Autonomist Party 12 October 1904 – 12 March 1906 Manuel Quintana 28 Luis María Campos Independent 14 March 1906 – 5 July 1906 José Figueroa Alcorta 29 Rosendo Fraga National Autonomist Party 5 July 1906 – 11 July 1907 30 Rafael María Aguirre Independent 11 July 1907 – 2 March 1910 31 Eduardo Racedo National Autonomist Party 2 March 1910 – 12 October 1910 32 Gregorio Vélez Independent 12 October 1910 – 12 February 1914 Roque Sáenz Peña 33 Ángel Allaria Independent 16 February 1914 – 9 August 1914 9 August 1914 – 12 October 1916 Victorino de la Plaza 34 Elpidio González Radical Civic Union 12 October 1916 – 14 September 1918 Hipólito Yrigoyen 35 Julio Moreno Radical Civic Union 14 September 1918 – 12 October 1922 36 Agustín Pedro Justo Radical Civic Union 12 October 1922 – 12 October 1928 Marcelo T. de Alvear 37 Luis Dellepiane Radical Civic Union 12 October 1928 – 6 September 1930 Hipólito Yrigoyen 38 Francisco Medina Independent 6 September 1930 – 20 February 1932 José Félix Uriburu 39 Manuel A. Rodríguez Independent 20 February 1932 – 24 February 1936 Agustín Pedro Justo 40 Basilio Pertiné Independent 30 March 1936 – 20 February 1938 41 Carlos Márquez Independent 20 February 1938 – 27 June 1942 Roberto M. Ortiz 42 Juan Nerón Tonazzi Independent 27 June 1942 – 16 November 1942 Ramón S. Castillo 43 Pedro Pablo Ramírez Independent 16 November 1942 – 4 June 1943 44 Edelmiro Farrell Independent 7 June 1943 – 24 February 1944 Pedro Pablo Ramírez 45 Juan Domingo Perón Independent 24 February 1944 – 9 March 1944 9 March 1944 – 8 October 1945 Edelmiro Farrell 46 Eduardo Ávalos Independent 8 October 1945 – 17 October 1945 47 Humberto Sosa Molina Independent 18 October 1945 – 4 June 1946 4 June 1946 – 11 March 1949 Juan Domingo Perón Ministry of Defense (1949–1955) 47 Humberto Sosa Molina Independent 11 March 1949 – 21 September 1955 Juan Domingo Perón Ministry of War (1955–1958) 48 Héctor Solanas Pacheco Independent 1 May 1958 – 18 June 1958 Arturo Frondizi Ministry of National Defense (1958–1981) 49 Gabriel del Mazo Radical Civic Union 18 June 1958 – 24 June 1959 Arturo Frondizi 50 Justo Policarpo Villar Radical Civic Union 25 June 1959 – 26 March 1962 51 Rodolfo Martínez Christian Democratic Party 26 March 1962 – 29 March 1962 52 Ernesto J. Lanusse Radical Civic Union 29 March 1962 – 30 April 1962 José María Guido 53 José Luis Cantilo Radical Civic Union 30 April 1962 – 30 August 1962 54 Adolfo Lanús Radical Civic Union 30 August 1962 – 5 October 1962 55 José Manuel Astigueta Independent 5 October 1962 – 12 October 1963 56 Leopoldo Suárez Radical Civic Union 12 October 1963 – 28 June 1966 Arturo Illia 57 Antonio Lanusse Independent 28 June 1966 – 11 March 1967 Juan Carlos Onganía 58 Emilio van Peborgh Independent 24 March 1967 – 8 June 1969 59 José Cáceres Monié MID 28 June 1969 – 18 June 1970 18 June 1970 – 22 March 1971 Roberto Marcelo Levingston 22 March 1971 – 9 May 1972 Alejandro Lanusse 60 Eduardo Aguirre Obarrio Independent 9 May 1972 – 25 May 1973 61 Ángel Robledo Justicialist Party 25 May 1973 – 13 July 1973 Héctor Cámpora 13 July 1973 – 12 October 1973 Raúl Lastiri 12 October 1973 – 1 July 1974 Juan Domingo Perón 1 July 1974 – 13 August 1974 Isabel Perón 62 Adolfo M. Savino Independent 14 August 1974 – 11 July 1975 63 Jorge Garrido Independent 11 July 1975 – 16 September 1975 64 Tomás Vottero Independent 16 September 1975 – 15 January 1976 65 Ricardo Guardo Justicialist Party 22 January 1976 – 8 March 1976 66 José Deheza Justicialist Party 12 March 1976 – 24 March 1976 67 José María Klix Independent 29 March 1976 – 30 October 1978 Jorge Rafael Videla 68 David de la Riva Independent 5 November 1978 – 29 March 1981 69 Norberto Couto Independent 29 March 1981 – 12 December 1981 Roberto Viola Ministry of Defense (1981–Present) 70 Amadeo Frúgoli Independent 22 December 1981 – 1 July 1982 Leopoldo Galtieri 71 Julio Martínez Vivot Independent 2 July 1982 – 10 December 1983 Reynaldo Bignone 72 Raúl Borrás Radical Civic Union 10 December 1983 – 27 May 1985 Raúl Alfonsín 73 Roque Carranza Radical Civic Union 27 May 1985 – 8 February 1986 74 Germán López Radical Civic Union 8 February 1986 – 2 June 1986 75 Horacio Jaunarena Radical Civic Union 2 June 1986 – 8 July 1989 76 Ítalo Luder Justicialist Party 8 July 1989 – 26 January 1990 Carlos Menem 77 Humberto Romero Justicialist Party 26 January 1990 – 31 January 1991 78 Guido Di Tella Justicialist Party 31 January 1991 – 1 March 1991 79 Antonio Erman González Justicialist Party 1 March 1991 – 9 December 1993 80 Oscar Camilión MID 9 December 1993 – 7 August 1996 81 Jorge Domínguez Justicialist Party 7 August 1996 – 10 December 1999 81 Ricardo López Murphy Radical Civic Union 10 December 1999 – 5 March 2001 Fernando de la Rúa 82 Horacio Jaunarena Radical Civic Union 5 March 2001 – 21 December 2001 83 José María Vernet Justicialist Party 23 December 2001 – 30 December 2001 Adolfo Rodríguez Saá 84 Horacio Jaunarena Radical Civic Union 3 January 2002 – 25 May 2003 Eduardo Duhalde 85 José Pampuro Justicialist Party 25 May 2003 – 1 December 2005 Néstor Kirchner 86 Nilda Garré Broad Front 1 December 2005 – 10 December 2007 10 December 2007 – 15 December 2010 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner 87 Arturo Puricelli Justicialist Party 15 December 2010 – 30 May 2013 88 Agustín Rossi Justicialist Party 30 May 2013 – 10 December 2015 89 Julio Martínez Radical Civic Union 10 December 2015 – 17 July 2017 Mauricio Macri 90 Oscar Aguad Radical Civic Union 17 July 2017 – 10 December 2019 91 Agustín Rossi Justicialist Party 10 December 2019 – 10 August 2021 Alberto Fernández 92 Jorge Taiana Justicialist Party 10 August 2021 – 10 December 2023 93 Luis Petri Radical Civic Union 10 December 2023 – 10 December 2025 Javier Milei94 Carlos Presti Independent 10 December 2025 - present

See also Argentine defense industry Argentine Armed Forces Defence diplomacy

References

External links

Joint chiefs off Staff