Ministry of Defense (Argentina)

The Ministry of Defense (Spanish: Ministerio de Defensa; 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.

Ministry of Defense

Ministerio de Defensa
Libertador Building, headquarters
Ministry overview
Formed	1854 (1854)
Preceding Ministry	Ministry of War (Argentine Confederation; first creation)
Jurisdiction	Government of Argentina
Headquarters	Libertador Building, Buenos Aires
Annual budget	$ 1,277,651,274,000 (2024) (USD 1.5 billion)
Minister responsible	Luis Petri
Child agencies	CITEDEF FadeA Fabricaciones Militares Military Intelligente SMN Tandanor
Website	argentina.gob.ar/defensa

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 is Luis Petri, who has served since 10 December 2023 in the cabinet of Javier Milei.

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.

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 (Military)	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 (Military)	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 (Military)	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 (Military)	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 (Military)	19 May 1897 – 12 October 1898
Ministry of War (1898–1949)
24	Luis María Campos		Independent (Military)	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 (Military)	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 (Military)	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 (Military)	11 July 1907 – 2 March 1910
31	Eduardo Racedo		National Autonomist Party	2 March 1910 – 12 October 1910
32	Gregorio Vélez		Independent (Military)	12 October 1910 – 12 February 1914		Roque Sáenz Peña
33	Ángel Allaria		Independent (Military)	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 (Military)	6 September 1930 – 20 February 1932		José Félix Uriburu
39	Manuel A. Rodríguez		Independent (Military)	20 February 1932 – 24 February 1936		Agustín Pedro Justo
40	Basilio Pertiné		Independent (Military)	30 March 1936 – 20 February 1938
41	Carlos Márquez		Independent (Military)	20 February 1938 – 27 June 1942		Roberto M. Ortiz
42	Juan Nerón Tonazzi		Independent (Military)	27 June 1942 – 16 November 1942		Ramón S. Castillo
43	Pedro Pablo Ramírez		Independent (Military)	16 November 1942 – 4 June 1943
44	Edelmiro Farrell		Independent (Military)	7 June 1943 – 24 February 1944		Pedro Pablo Ramírez
45	Juan Domingo Perón		Independent (Military)	24 February 1944 – 9 March 1944
				9 March 1944 – 8 October 1945		Edelmiro Farrell
46	Eduardo Ávalos		Independent (Military)	8 October 1945 – 17 October 1945
47	Humberto Sosa Molina		Independent (Military)	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 (Military)	11 March 1949 – 21 September 1955		Juan Domingo Perón
Ministry of War (1955–1958)
48	Héctor Solanas Pacheco		Independent (Military)	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 (Military)	29 March 1976 – 30 October 1978		Jorge Rafael Videla
68	David de la Riva		Independent (Military)	5 November 1978 – 29 March 1981
69	Norberto Couto		Independent (Military)	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 Lúder		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 – Present		Javier Milei

See also

• Argentine defense industry
• Argentine Armed Forces
• Defence diplomacy

External links

• Official website
• Joint chiefs off Staff