title: Ministry of National Defence and Homeland Veterans (Angola)
text: # Ministry of National Defence and Homeland Veterans (Angola)
  
  The Ministry of National Defence and Homeland Veterans (Portuguese: Ministro da Defesa Nacional e Veteranos da Pátria) is an executive agency of the Government of Angola that controls the Angolan Armed Forces. It is based at Rua 17 de Setembro in Luanda.
  
  ## Name changes
  
  * 1975–1995: Ministry of Defence
  * 1996–present: Ministry of National Defence
  
  ## Structure
  
  * Military Affairs Cabinet ("Casa Militar"), headed by one of the three Ministers of State and answers directly to the Office of the President.
  
  ## Minister of National Defence
  
  The Minister of National Defence of Angola is a cabinet level position in the national government. The minister is responsible for the entire defense establishment. The position was established in 1975 with Henrique Teles Carreira as the inaugural minister.
  
  ### List
  
  * 1975–1979: Gen. Henrique Teles Carreira
  * 1980–1995: Gen. Pedro Pedalé
  * 1995–1999: Gen. Pedro Sebastião
  * 1999–2010: Gen. Kundi Paihama
  * 2010–2014: Gen. Cândido Pereira dos Santos Van-Dúnem
  * 2014–2017: Gen. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço
  * 2017–2020: Gen. Salviano de Jesus Sequeira
  * 2020–present: Gen. João Ernesto dos Santos
  
  ### Deputies
  
  The commanders of the three major military services each held the title of vice minister of defense.
  
  