List of German defence ministers

The federal minister of defence (German: Bundesminister der Verteidigung) is the head of the Federal Ministry of Defence and a member of the Federal Cabinet.

According to Article 65a of the German Constitution (German: Grundgesetz), the federal minister of defence is commander-in-chief (German: Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt) of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, in peacetime. Conversely, when a state of defence is declared, the federal chancellor becomes commander-in-chief. The highest-ranking military officer in the Bundeswehr is the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (German: Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr).

The current Federal Minister of Defence is Boris Pistorius, since 19 January 2023.