Ministry of Defence (Singapore)

"Mindef" redirects here. For Bruneian defence ministry, see Ministry of Defence (Brunei). For Peruvian defence ministry, see Ministry of Defence (Peru).

Ministry of Defence
Agency overview
Formed11 August 1970; 54 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 budgetIncrease S$20.25 billion (2024)[1]
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)
  • BG Chen Juncheng, Edward,
    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

See also: Ministry of Interior and Defence

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

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."[2]

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

See also: Singapore Armed Forces § Organisation

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.[3]

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

Ministers

The Ministry is headed by the Minister for Defence, who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore. The incumbent minister is Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Ng Eng Hen from the People's Action Party.

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Took office Left office Party Cabinet
Goh Keng Swee
MP for Kreta Ayer
(1918–2010) 		9 August
1965 		16 August
1967 		PAP Lee K. II
Lim Kim San
MP for Cairnhill
(1916–2006) 		17 August
1967 		10 August
1970 		PAP
Lee K. III
Goh Keng Swee
MP for Kreta Ayer
(1918–2010) 		11 August
1970 		11 February
1979 		PAP
Lee K. IV
Lee K. V
Howe Yoon Chong
MP for Potong Pasir
(1923–2007) 		12 February
1979 		31 May
1982 		PAP
Lee K. VI
Goh Chok Tong
MP for Marine Parade SMC & Marine Parade GRC
(born 1941) 		1 June
1982 		30 June
1991 		PAP
Lee K. VII
Lee K. VIII
Goh I
Yeo Ning Hong
MP for Kim Seng SMC & Kampong Glam GRC
(born 1943) 		1 July
1991 		1 July
1994 		PAP
Goh II
Lee Boon Yang
MP for Jalan Besar GRC
(born 1947) 		2 July
1994 		1 August
1995 		PAP
Tony Tan
MP for Sembawang GRC
(born 1940) 		2 August
1995 		1 August
2003 		PAP
Goh III
Goh IV
Teo Chee Hean
MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC
(born 1954) 		2 August
2003 		20 May
2011 		PAP
Lee H. I
Lee H. II
Ng Eng Hen
MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
(born 1958) 		21 May
2011 		Incumbent PAP Lee H. III
Lee H. IV
Lee H. V
Wong I

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Singapore Budget".
  2. ^ "About Us: Mission". Ministry of Defence (Singapore). Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  3. ^ "MINDEF Departments". Singapore Government Directory. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017.
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