List of ministers of defence of the Netherlands
| Minister of Defence of the Netherlands | |
|---|---|
| Minister van Defensie | |
Flag of the minister of defence | |
since 23 February 2026 | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Style | His/Her Excellency |
| Member of | Council of Ministers |
| Appointer | The monarch on advice of the prime minister |
| Precursor | Minister of War Minister of the Navy |
| Formation | 1 September 1928 (historic) 7 August 1948 (current) |
| First holder | Johan Lambooij (historic) Kees Staf (current) |
| Final holder | Hendrik van Boeijen (historic) |
| Abolished | 27 July 1941 (historic) |
| Deputy | Derk Boswijk as State Secretary for Defence |
| Salary | €205,991 (As of 2025) |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Politics of the Netherlands |
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The minister of defence (Dutch: Minister van Defensie) is the head of the Ministry of Defence and a member of the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. The incumbent minister is Dilan Yeşilgöz of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) party who has been in office since 23 February 2026. Regularly, a state secretary is assigned to the ministry who is tasked with specific portfolios. The current state secretary is Derk Boswijk of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) who also has been in office since 23 February 2026.