Ministry of Defence (Singapore)

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Ministry of Defence
File:MINDEF crest.jpeg
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Agency overview
Formed11 August 1970; 55 years ago (1970-08-11)
Preceding agency
JurisdictionGovernment of Singapore
Headquarters303 Gombak Drive, MINDEF Building, Singapore (669645)
MottoSafeguarding Singapore's Peace
Employees282 (2024)[1]
Annual budgetS$23.4 billion (USD$18.3b 2025)[2]
Ministers responsible
Agency executives
  • Chan Heng Kee,
    Permanent Secretary (Defence)
    Melvyn Ong Permanent Secretary (Defence Development)
  • BG Yew Chee Leung,
    Deputy Secretary (Technology)/Future Systems and Technology Architect
  • Elaine Ng,
    Deputy Secretary (Administration)
  • Tan Peng Yam,
    Chief Defence Scientist
  • BG Choo Wei Yee, Frederick,
    Deputy Secretary (Policy)
  • COL Clarence Cai Geren,
    Defence Cyber Chief
Child agency
Websitewww.mindef.gov.sg
Agency IDT08GA0011B

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

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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

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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."[3]

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

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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.[4]

The Security and Intelligence Division (SID), the foreign intelligence service of Singapore, is autonomous within the ministry.

Ministers

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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
File:Goh Keng Swee, 1948.png Goh Keng Swee
MP for Kreta Ayer
(1918–2010)
9 August
1965
16 August
1967
PAP Lee K. II
File:Lim Kim San in the 1940s.jpg Lim Kim San
MP for Cairnhill
(1916–2006)
17 August
1967
10 August
1970
PAP
Lee K. III
File:Goh Keng Swee, 1948.png Goh Keng Swee
MP for Kreta Ayer
(1918–2010)
11 August
1970
11 February
1979
PAP
Lee K. IV
Lee K. V
File:3x4.svg Howe Yoon Chong
MP for Potong Pasir
(1923–2007)
12 February
1979
31 May
1982
PAP
Lee K. VI
File:GohChokTong-WashingtonDC-20010614.jpg Goh Chok Tong
MP for Marine Parade (until 1988) and Marine Parade GRC (from 1988)
(born 1941)
1 June
1982
30 June
1991
PAP
Lee K. VII
Lee K. VIII
Goh I
File:3x4.svg Yeo Ning Hong
MP for Kampong Glam GRC
(born 1943)
1 July
1991
1 July
1994
PAP
Goh II
File:Dr. Lee Boon Yang in New Delhi on January 25, 2005 (cropped).jpg Lee Boon Yang
MP for Jalan Besar GRC
(born 1947)
2 July
1994
1 August
1995
PAP
File:Tony Tan Keng Yam cropp.jpg Tony Tan
MP for Sembawang GRC
(born 1940)
2 August
1995
1 August
2003
PAP
Goh III
Goh IV
File:Teo Chee Hean 2.jpg Teo Chee Hean
MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC
(born 1954)
2 August
2003
20 May
2011
PAP
Lee H. I
Lee H. II
File:Singapore Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen at the Pentagon, USA on July 15, 2024 (cropped).jpg Ng Eng Hen
MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
(born 1958)
21 May
2011
22 May
2025
PAP Lee H. III
Lee H. IV
Lee H. V
Wong I
File:Chan Chun Sing in Singapore.jpg Chan Chun Sing
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC
(born 1969)
23 May
2025
Incumbent PAP Wong II

See also

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References

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