This is a list of current defence ministers of the 193 United Nations member states. The Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine do not maintain ministers of defence.

Defence ministers of sovereign countries with limited recognition are included in a separate table.

States recognised by the United Nations StateListDefence ministerPolitical affiliationAssumed officeListMullah YaqoobTaliban7 September 2021ListErmal NufiSocialist Party26 February 2026ListAbdelmadjid Tebboune (also President)National Liberation Front19 December 2019colspan=4 ListJoão Ernesto dos SantosPopular Movement for the Liberation of Angola6 April 2020Gaston Browne (also Prime Minister)Labour Party13 June 2014ListCarlos PrestiIndependent10 December 2025ListSuren PapikyanCivil Contract15 November 2021ListRichard MarlesLabor Party1 June 2022ListKlaudia TannerPeople's Party7 January 2020ListColonel general Zakir HasanovNew Azerbaijan Party22 October 2013 ListWayne MunroeProgressive Liberal Party20 September 2021Abdullah bin Hassan Al-Nuaimi 4 December 2018ListTarique Rahman (also Prime Minister)Nationalist Party17 February 2026Mia Mottley (also Prime Minister)Labour Party26 May 2018ListLieutenant general Viktor KhreninIndependent20 January 2020ListTheo FranckenNew Flemish Alliance 3 February 2025Florencio Marin Jr.United Democratic Party13 November 2020Alain NouatinIndependent25 May 2021colspan=4 Raúl SalinasIndependent8 November 2025ListZukan HelezSocial Democratic Party25 January 2023ListMoeti MohwasaIndependent15 November 2024ListJosé MúcioDemocratic Renewal Party1 January 2023ListHassanal Bolkiah (also Sultan)7 September 1986ListLieutenant general Atanas ZapryanovIndependent9 April 2024Célestin Simporé8 December 2024ListMarie Chantal Nijimbere5 August 2025ListGeneral Tea SeihaPeople's Party22 August 2023ListJoseph Beti AssomoPeople's Democratic Movement2 October 2015List David McGuintyLiberal Party13 May 2025Luís Filipe TavaresMovement for Democracy22 April 2016 Claude Rameaux Bireau23 June 2021Dago Yacouba21 October 2023ListFernando Barros11 March 2026ListAdmiral Dong JunCommunist Party29 December 2023ListMajor general Pedro Arnulfo SánchezIndependent3 March 2025Youssoufa Mohamed Ali31 May 2016Major general Charles Richard Mondjo25 September 2012ListAlexandre Luba Ntambo28 April 2012 Ministry of Public Security is in charge of maintaining public order, organizing police forces, preventing crime and, if necessary, defense of national sovereignty Ministry of Public Security FunctionsMario Zamora Cordero10 May 2023Téné Birahima OuattaraRally of the Republicans8 March 2021ListIvan AnušićDemocratic Union16 November 2023ListCorps general Álvaro López MieraCommunist Party15 April 2021ListVasilis Palmas10 January 2024ListLieutenant general Jaromír ZůnaIndependent15 December 2025ListJeppe BruusSocial Democrats22 August 2023 ListHassan Omar Mohamed5 May 2019colspan=2 Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre16 August 2024ListIndependent1 July 2023ListGian Carlo Loffredo Rendón23 November 2023ListGeneral Abdel Mageed SaqrIndependent3 July 2024ListAdmiral René Merino MonroyIndependent1 June 2019ListVictoriano Bibang Nsue Okomo19 August 2020ListGeneral Filipos Woldeyohannes19 March 2014ListHanno PevkurReform Party18 July 2022ListAisha Mohammed20 May 2024ListPio TikoduaduaNational Federation Party24 December 2022ListAntti HäkkänenNational Coalition Party20 June 2023ListCatherine VautrinRenaissance12 October 2025ListBrigitte Onkanowa10 September 2023 GambiaMajor Sheikh Omar Faye Independent 22 August 2019ListIrakli ChikovaniGeorgian Dream8 February 2024ListBoris PistoriusSocial Democratic Party19 January 2023ListCassiel Ato Baah Forson (acting)National Democratic Congress6 August 2025ListNikos DendiasNew Democracy 27 June 2023Dickon Mitchell (also Prime Minister)National Democratic Congress24 June 2022ListBrigadier general Henry Saenz RamosIndependent15 January 2024Aboubacar Sidiki Camara21 October 2021Stive Lassana Manssaly29 November 2025colspan=2 ListJean Michel Moïse19 November 2024Roosevelt Hernández Aguilar18 December 2025ListKristóf Szalay-BobrovniczkyIndependent24 May 2022 Ministry for Foreign Affairs is the central authority for defence National Security of Iceland List Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir Viðreisn 21 December 2024ListRajnath SinghBharatiya Janata Party31 May 2019 ListHonorary general Sjafrie SjamsoeddinIndependent21 October 2024ListMajid Ebn-e-Reza (acting)28 February 2026ListMohammed Shia' Al Sudani (acting) (also Prime Minister)Independent2 March 2026ListHelen McEnteeFine Gael18 November 2025ListCaptain Israel KatzLikud5 November 2024ListGuido CrosettoBrothers of Italy22 October 2022Andrew Holness (also Prime Minister)Labour Party3 March 2016ListShinjirō KoizumiLiberal Democratic Party 21 October 2025 ListJafar Hassan (also Prime Minister)15 September 2024ListLieutenant general Däuren Qosanov8 June 2025ListSoipan Tuya8 August 2024colspan=2 ListGeneral No Kwang-cholWorkers' Party8 October 2024ListAhn Gyu-backDemocratic Party25 July 2025ListAbdullah Ali Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah4 February 2025ListRuslan Mukambetov22 May 2025ListChansamone ChanyalathPeople's Revolutionary Party20 April 2016ListAndris SprūdsThe Progressives15 September 2023ListMajor general Michel MenassaIndependent8 February 2025 Sam Matekane (also Prime Minister)Revolution for Prosperity28 October 2022ListGeraldine George13 February 2024 LibyaListAbdul Hamid Dbeibeh (also Prime Minister)Independent15 March 2021colspan=2 ListRobertas KaunasSocial Democratic Party11 November 2025ListYuriko BackesDemocratic Party17 November 2023ListMaminirina Ely Razafitombo28 October 2025Chimwemwe ChipunguIndependent30 October 2025ListMohamed Khaled NordinBarisan Nasional12 December 2023ListMohamed Ghassan Maumoon17 November 2023Assimi Goïta4 May 2026Byron CamilleriLabor Party15 January 2020colspan=2 Hanena Ould Sidi 9 August 2019Navin Ramgoolam (also Prime Minister)Labour Party13 November 2024ListDivision general Ricardo Trevilla Trejo1 October 2024colspan=2 ListAnatolie NosatîiIndependent6 August 2021colspan=2 ListDambyn BatlutPeople's Party18 June 2025ListDragan KrapovićDemocratic Montenegro31 October 2023Abdellatif Loudiyi2 December 2010ListMajor general Cristóvão Artur ChumeFRELIMO11 November 2021ListGeneral Maung Maung Aye18 December 2024ListFrans KapofiSWAPO22 April 2021colspan=2 ListBalen Shah (also Prime Minister)Rastriya Swatantra Party27 March 2026ListDilan YeşilgözPeople's Party for Freedom and Democracy 23 February 2026ListJudith CollinsNational Party27 November 2023Captain Rosa Adelina Barahona CastroSandinista National Liberation Front19 August 2019 General Salifou Modi 28 July 2023ListGeneral Christopher Gwabin Musa4 December 2025ListVlado MisajlovskiVMRO-DPMNE23 June 2024ListTore Onshuus SandvikLabour Party4 February 2025ListHaitham bin Tariq (also Sultan)11 January 2020ListKhawaja AsifMuslim League (N)19 April 2022colspan=2 The Palestinian Authority renamed itself the State of Palestine on 6 January 2013 (a move not recognized by Israel). Do not confuse with the "State of Palestine" proclaimed on 15 November 1988 by the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in Algiers which remains a putative state, de facto ineffective despite partial international recognition. colspan=2 Billy JosephSocial Democratic Party19 January 2024General Bernardino Soto Estigarribia15 August 2018ListCésar Díaz PecheIndependent14 October 2025ListColonel Gilbert TeodoroPeople's Reform Party5 June 2023ListWładysław Kosiniak-KamyszPeople's Party13 December 2023ListNuno MeloCDS – People's Party2 April 2024Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani12 November 2024ListRadu-Dinel MiruțăSave Romania Union23 December 2025 ListAndrey BelousovIndependent14 May 2024ListBrigadier general Juvenal MarizamundaPatriotic Front6 June 2023colspan=2 Philip J. Pierre (also Prime Minister)28 July 2021colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 ListJorge Amado11 November 2022ListKhalid bin Salman27 September 2022ListGeneral Birame Diop5 April 2024ListBratislav GašićProgressive Party2 May 2024Patrick Herminie (also President)Linyon Demokratik Seselwa26 October 2025ListMajor Alfred Paolo ContehAll People's Congress26 October 2007ListMajor general Chan Chun SingPeople's Action Party23 May 2025ListRobert KaliňákDirection – Social Democracy25 October 2023ListBorut SajovicFreedom Movement7 October 2024Christopher LaoreIndependent22 October 2012ListAhmed Moalim FiqiUnion for Peace and Development Party25 August 2022ListAngie MotshekgaAfrican National Congress3 July 2024ListGeneral Chol Thon Balok29 March 2023ListMargarita RoblesIndependent7 June 2018 ListAnura Kumara Dissanayake (also President)National People's Power23 September 2024ListHassan Daoud Kayan28 June 2025Krishna MathoeraProgressive Reform Party16 July 2020colspan=2 ListPål JonsonModerate Party18 October 2022ListColonel Martin PfisterThe Centre1 April 2025ListMajor general Murhaf Abu QasraIndependent21 December 2024ListLieutenant general Emomali Sobirzoda23 January 2025ListRhimo Simeon Nyansaho17 November 2025ListGeneral Natthaphon NarkphanitIndependent 30 June 2025Faure Gnassingbé (also President of the Council of Ministers)Union for the Republic3 May 2025Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala (also Crown Prince)31 December 2025 Wayne Sturge3 May 2025ListKhaled SehiliIndependent25 August 2024ListYaşar GülerIndependent4 June 2023ListLieutenant general Begenç GündogdyýewDemocratic Party14 June 2018colspan=2 ListJacob Oboth-Oboth4 April 2024ListMykhailo FedorovIndependent14 January 2026Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum14 July 2024ListLabour PartyListPete HegsethRepublican25 January 2025ListSandra LazoBroad Front1 March 2025ListMajor general Shukhrat Kholmukhamedov23 November 2024colspan=2 ListGeneral-in-chief Vladimir Padrino LópezUnited Socialist Party24 October 2014ListGeneral Phan Văn GiangCommunist Party8 April 2021ListLieutenant general Taher al-Aqili6 February 2026ListAmbrose LufumaUnited Party for National Development8 September 2021ListOppah Muchinguri-KashiriAfrican National Union – Patriotic Front7 September 2018

Notes

States with limited recognition, non-UN member states StateListDefence ministerPartyAssumed officeVladimir Anua1 June 2020Ejup Maqedonci8 August 2023colspan=2 Mohamed Lamine Mohamed Ahmed14 February 2023Mohamed Yusuf Ali14 December 2024Yuri Yarovitsky2 June 2025ListWellington KooDemocratic Progressive Party20 May 2024Oleg Obruchkov26 December 2016

See also Lists of office-holders Chief of defence

References