Minister of Defence (Armenia)

The defence minister of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետության պաշտպանության նախարար, romanized: Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan pashtpanut’yan nakharar) is the head of the country's Ministry of Defence, who is charged with the political leadership of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The position was originally created in 1918 and was re-established in January 1992 following Armenia's independence from the USSR, and is currently headed by Suren Papikyan. From 1993 to 1995, there was a concurrent position called the state minister for defence held by Vazgen Sargsyan.

Minister of Defence
Հայաստանի պաշտպանության նախարար
Incumbent Suren Papikyan since 15 November 2021
Ministry of Defence
Style	Mr/Madam Minister
Member of	Cabinet Security Council
Reports to	Prime Minister of Armenia
Seat	Yerevan, Armenia
Nominator	Prime Minister of Armenia
Appointer	President of Armenia
Term length	None
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Armenia
Formation	1992
First holder	Vazgen Sargsyan
Deputy	Chief of the General Staff
Website	mil.am/en

List of ministers

First Republic of Armenia (1918–1920)

No.	Portrait	Minister of Defence	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
1		Hakhverdyan, HovhannesHovhannes Hakhverdyan (1873–1931)	30 June 1918	27 March 1919	270 days	Independent
2		Araratov, ChristophorChristophor Araratov (1876–1937)	27 March 1919	5 May 1920	1 year, 39 days	Independent
3		Minassian, RoubenRouben Ter Minassian (1882–1951)	5 May 1920	24 November 1920	203 days	ARF
4		Kanayan, DrastamatDrastamat Kanayan (1884–1956)	24 November 1920	2 December 1920	8 days	ARF

Armenian SSR (1920–1991)

No.	Portrait	People's Commissar of the Army and Navy of the Armenian SSR	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
5		Nurijanyan, AvisAvis Nurijanyan (1896–1938)	December 1920	May 1921	6 months	CPSU
6		Miasnikian, AlexanderAlexander Miasnikian (1886–1925)	May 1921	1922	1 year	CPSU
7		Bzhishkyan, HaykHayk Bzhishkyan (1887–1937)	1922	1922	0 year	CPSU

Third Armenian Republic (1991–present)

No.	Portrait	Minister of Defence	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
8		Sargsyan, VazgenVazgen Sargsyan (1959–1999)	5 December 1991	20 October 1992	320 days	HHSh
9		Manukyan, VazgenVazgen Manukyan (born 1946)	20 October 1992	21 August 1993	305 days	NDU
10		Sargsyan, SerzhSerzh Sargsyan (born 1954)	21 August 1993	17 May 1995	1 year, 269 days	HHSh
(8)		Sargsyan, VazgenVazgen Sargsyan (1959–1999)	25 July 1995	11 June 1999	3 years, 321 days	Republican
11		Harutiunyan, VagharshakVagharshak Harutiunyan (born 1956)	11 June 1999	20 May 2000	344 days	Independent
(10)		Sargsyan, SerzhSerzh Sargsyan (born 1954)	20 May 2000	26 March 2007	6 years, 310 days	Republican
12		Harutyunyan, MikaelMikael Harutyunyan (born 1946)	4 April 2007	14 April 2008	1 year, 10 days	Independent
13		Ohanyan, SeyranSeyran Ohanyan (born 1962)	14 April 2008	3 October 2016	8 years, 172 days	Independent
14		Sargsyan, VigenVigen Sargsyan (born 1975)	3 October 2016	12 May 2018	1 year, 221 days	Republican
15		Tonoyan, DavidDavid Tonoyan (born 1967)	12 May 2018	20 November 2020	2 years, 192 days	Independent
(11)		Harutiunyan, VagharshakVagharshak Harutiunyan (born 1956)	20 November 2020	3 August 2021	256 days	Independent
16		Karapetyan, ArshakArshak Karapetyan (born 1967)	3 August 2021	15 November 2021	104 days	Independent
17		Papikyan, SurenSuren Papikyan (born 1986)	15 November 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 273 days	Civil Contract

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See also

• Ministry of Defence of Armenia
• Armed Forces of Armenia