List of ministers of defense (Indonesia)

Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia
Menteri Pertahanan Republik Indonesia
Seal of the Ministry of Defense
since 21 October 2024
Ministry of Defense
AbbreviationMenhan
Member ofCabinet
SeatJl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 13-14
Jakarta 10110
AppointerPresident of Indonesia
Inaugural holder
Formation19 August 1945; 79 years ago (1945-08-19)
Websitewww.kemhan.go.id

The minister of defense of the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Menteri Pertahanan) is the head of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense. The minister is tasked with organizing government affairs in the field of national defense.

The current minister of defense is Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who has served in the position since 21 October 2024. The minister is supported by the deputy minister of defense Donny Ermawan [id].

List of ministers

The following are a list of persons and politicians who have been appointed the Minister of Defense in Indonesia.[1]

  Independent (12)       PSI (1)       PNI (4)       Parindra (1)       Masyumi (2)     
  Military (4)       Golkar (5)       PKB (1)       Gerindra (1)
No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Cabinet R
1 Supriyadi 2 September 1945 20 October 1945 Presidential
  • The office were first named 'Minister of People's Security' (Menteri Keamanan Rakyat)
  • Supriyadi never appeared in Jakarta to accept the appointment. He was to be considered missing until 9 August 1975 when he was declared National Hero of Indonesia, an award only bestowed posthumously
— Imam Muhammad Suliyoadikusumo
(ad interim) 		20 October 1945 14 November 1945
2 Amir Sjarifuddin 14 November 1945 12 March 1946 Sjahrir I
12 March 1946 2 October 1946 Sjahrir II During Sjahrir's second cabinet, the office were renamed 'Minister of Defense' (Menteri Pertahanan)
2 October 1946 26 June 1947 Sjahrir III
3 July 1947 11 November 1947 Amir Sjarifuddin I Sjarifuddin held the office concurrently as both Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
11 November 1947 23 January 1948 Amir Sjarifuddin II
— Mohammad Hatta
(ad interim) 		29 January 1948 15 July 1948 Hatta I Hatta held the office concurrently as Vice President, Prime Minister, and ad interim Minister of Defense
3 Hamengkubuwono IX 15 July 1948 4 August 1949
— Sjafruddin Prawiranegara 19 December 1948 13 July 1949 Emergency Prawiranegara held the office concurrently as Chairman of the Emergency Government and Minister of Defense
(3) Hamengkubuwono IX 9 August 1949 20 December 1949 Hatta II
20 December 1949 6 June 1950 Federal
4 Abdul Halim 6 June 1950 17 December 1950 Natsir Halim resigned from his post as of 17 December 1950 due to illness
— Mohammad Natsir
(ad interim) 		17 December 1950 27 April 1951 Following Halim's resignation, Natsir held the office concurrently as Prime Minister and ad interim Minister of Defense
5 Raden Mas Sewaka [id] 9 May 1951 3 April 1952 Sukiman-Suwirjo
(3) Hamengkubuwono IX 3 April 1952 2 June 1953 Wilopo Hamengkubuwono IX resigned from his post as of 2 June 1953
6 Wilopo 2 June 1953 30 July 1953 Following Hamengkubuwono IX's resignation, Wilopo held the office concurrently as Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
7 Iwa Koesoemasoemantri 30 July 1953 13 July 1955 Ali Sastromidjojo I Iwa resigned from his post as of 13 July 1955. The office remained vacant until the next cabinet
— Zainul Arifin
(ad interim) 		13 July 1955 12 August 1955
8 Burhanuddin Harahap 12 August 1955 24 March 1956 Burhanuddin Harahap Harahap held the office concurrently as both Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
9 Ali Sastroamidjojo 24 March 1956 9 April 1957 Ali Sastromidjojo II Sastroamidjojo held the office concurrently as both Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
10 Djuanda Kartawidjaja 9 April 1957 10 July 1959 Djuanda Djuanda held the office concurrently as both Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
11 Abdul Haris Nasution 10 July 1959 18 February 1960 Working I During the First Working Cabinet, the office were renamed 'Minister of Security and Defense' (Menteri Keamanan dan Pertahanan)
18 February 1960 6 March 1962 Working II Later during the Second Working Cabinet, it was renamed again as 'Minister of National Security' (Menteri Keamanan Nasional)
6 March 1962 13 November 1963 Working III
  • The office were reorganized during the Third Working Cabinet, with the office merged into 'Deputy First Minister/Defense and Security Coordinator' (Wakil Menteri Pertama/Koordinator Pertahanan/Keamanan). Nasution also held the post with the office of 'Minister/Army Chief of Staff' (Menteri/Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat)
  • It would be renamed again on 22 January 1962 as 'Deputy First Minister/Minister/Army Chief of Staff' (Wakil Menteri Pertama/Menteri/Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat)
13 November 1963 27 August 1964 Working IV It would be reorganized again during the Fourth Working Cabinet, when it was transformed into the 'Coordinating Minister on Defense and Security' (Menteri Koordinator Pertahanan Keamanan), a precursor to the present-day Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs
27 August 1964 24 February 1966 Dwikora I Other changes occurred during the original Dwikora Cabinet, when it was renamed Coordinating 'Minister/Armed Forces Chief of Staff' (Menteri Koordinator/Kepala Staf Angkatan Bersenjata), as Nasution were appointed chief of staff of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, separated from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, whose commanders were also elevated to Minister
12 Mas Sarbini [id] 24 February 1966 28 March 1966 Dwikora II
  • On 24 February 1966, Nasution were removed from his cabinet post and the office of armed forces chief of staff were abolished
  • The office were renamed 'Coordinating Minister on Defense and Security' (Menteri Koordinator Pertahanan dan Keamanan)
13 Suharto 28 March 1966 25 July 1966 Dwikora III
  • The office were elevated into the office of 'Deputy Prime Minister on Defense and Security' (Wakil Perdana Menteri Pertahanan dan Keamanan)
  • Suharto also concurrently held the office of 'Minister/Commander of the Army' (Menteri/Panglima Angkatan Darat).
25 July 1966 17 October 1967 Ampera I
  • The office were renamed as 'Chief Minister on Defense and Security' (Menteri Utama bidang Pertahanan dan Keamanan)
  • Suharto also concurrently held the office of Cabinet Presidium (essentially the head of government)
  • Since 12 March 1967, Suharto was appointed Acting President after Sukarno was removed from the presidency
17 October 1967 6 June 1968 Ampera II
  • Suharto held the office concurrently as the Commander of the Armed Forces (Panglima Angkatan Bersenjata)
  • Since 27 March 1968, Suharto's acting presidency ended and he was formally sworn in as President
6 June 1968 9 September 1971 Development I
  • The office were restored as 'Minister of Defense and Security' (Menteri Pertahanan dan Keamanan)
  • Suharto held the office concurrently as President, Minister of Defense and Security, and Commander of the Armed Forces
14 Maraden Panggabean 9 September 1971 28 March 1973 Development I Panggabean held the office concurrently as Minister of Defense and Security as well as Commander of the Armed Forces
28 March 1973 29 March 1978 Development II
15 Mohammad Jusuf 31 March 1978 19 March 1983 Development III Jusuf held the office concurrently as Minister of Defense and Security as well as Commander of the Armed Forces
16 Poniman [id] 19 March 1983 21 March 1988 Development IV
17 Benny Moerdani 21 March 1988 17 March 1993 Development V
18 Edi Sudradjat [id] 17 March 1993 14 March 1998 Development VI
  • Until 21 May 1993, Sudradjat also held the post of Commander of the Armed Forces
  • Meanwhile Sudradjat also, until 23 March 1993, held the post of Army Chief of Staff
  • Between his appointment to the cabinet on 17 March 1993 until 23 March 1993, he was the only person to held the office of Minister of Defense and Security, Commander of the Armed Forces, and Army Chief of Staff at the same time
19 Wiranto 14 March 1998 21 May 1998 Development VII Wiranto held the office concurrently as Minister of Defense and Security as well as Commander of the Armed Forces
23 May 1998 20 October 1999 Development Reform
20 Juwono Sudarsono 29 October 1999 26 August 2000 National Unity The office were renamed 'Minister of Defense' (Menteri Pertahanan)
21 Mahfud MD 26 August 2000 20 July 2001
22 Agum Gumelar 20 July 2001 23 July 2001 Gumelar held the post concurrently as Coordinating Minister of Political, Social, and Security Affairs, as well as Minister of Defense
23 Matori Abdul Djalil [id] 10 August 2001 20 October 2004 Mutual Assistance
(20) Juwono Sudarsono 21 October 2004 20 October 2009 United Indonesia I
24 Purnomo Yusgiantoro 22 October 2009 20 October 2014 United Indonesia II
25 Ryamizard Ryacudu 27 October 2014 20 October 2019 Working
26 Prabowo Subianto 23 October 2019 20 October 2024 Onward Indonesia
27 Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin 21 October 2024 Incumbent Red and White
Additional notes
  • All ministers who served from the Third until Seventh Development cabinets are members of the Golkar Board of Supervisors, including the Commander of ABRI and Heads of government agencies[2]

References

  1. ^ "Sejarah Kementerian Pertahanan Republik Indonesia". Kementerian Pertahanan Republik Indonesia. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  2. ^ Halawa, Ohiao (1999). Profil 48 Ketua Umum Parpol RI [Profile of the 48 Chairpersons of the Political Parties in Indonesia] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: NIAS and Kreasi Karya Wiguna. p. 54. Kedua, selama menguasai pemerintahan, secara jelas telah menjadikan lembaga kekuasaan negara sebagai perangkat organisasi Golkar. Presiden adalah Ketua Dewan Pembina. Menteri, Panglima ABRI, dan pimpinan lembaga pemerintahan menjadi anggota Dewan Pembina.

See also