The Ministry of Defence of Mongolia () is a ministry of the Government of Mongolia. According to the Law on the Defence of Mongolia, the Ministry is responsible for developing Defence Policy, coordinating its political, economic, social, legal and military implementation, and exercise civilian control over the Mongolian Armed Forces. The current Minister Gürsediin Saikhanbayar was appointed in July 2020. The ministry has the following leadership structure: Minister of Defence Deputy Minister of Defence Secretary of State According to the Law on the Armed forces, the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces is the professional managing body and the headquarters for the Mongolian Armed Forces and operates under the policies approved by the Ministry of Defence. The policies are also approved by the Government cabinet and the Parliament "Ikh Khural" of Mongolia. History On 29 December 1911, Mongolia gained independence from the Manchu Empire, and established its first five ministries. One of the ministries was the Ministry of Military Affairs, which was one of the predecessors to the Ministry of Defence. Since then, it has operated under the following names: Ministry of Military Affairs (1911-1919) Ministry of War (1921-1922) Ministry of Military Affairs of the People's Government of Mongolia (1922-1924) Ministry of Military Affairs of People's Republic of Mongolia (1924-1949) Ministry of Defence (1949-1955) Ministry of Military and Public Security (1955-1959) Ministry of People's Military Affairs (1959-1968) Ministry of Defence of the Mongolian People's Republic (1968-1992) Ministry of Defence of Mongolia (1992-Present) Ministry structure The ministry has the following structure: Strategic Policy and Implementation Directorate Public Administration Directorate Policy Implementation Coordination Directorate Foreign Cooperation Directorate Monitoring Evaluation and Internal Auditing Directorate Subordinate institutions/units The following units/institutions are under the direct command of the Ministry of Defence: National Defense University – The MNDU is an accredited military university located in Ulaanbaatar and is the country's premier and oldest military educational institution. It prepares officers and NCOs to have grounded leadership skills as well as physical/moral strength. Institute for Strategic Studies – The institute was established in February 1990 as a strategic research centre under the Ministry of Defence. In May 2006, the government upgraded the institute's status to a separate research branch of the National Security Council of Mongolia (NSC), acting as a think tank institution. Cultural institutions/units Mongolian Military Song and Dance Academic Ensemble Mongolian Military Museum Central Archives – The Central Archives has data and documents which date