The title
Defence Minister,
Minister for Defence,
Secretary of Defense,
Secretary of State for Defence,
Secretary of National Defense or some similar variation, is assigned to the person in a
cabinet position in charge of a
Ministry of Defence, which regulates the
armed forces in
sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in some the
minister is only in charge of general budget matters and procurement of equipment; while in others the minister is also, in addition, an integral part of the operational military
chain of command.