Minister of Defence (Armenia)
# 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.

## List of ministers

### First Republic of Armenia (1918–1920)

| No. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 1 year, 254 days | Civil Contract |
