Nepali Ministry of Defense
| Primary URL | Location | Industry | www[.]mod[.]gov[.]np |
Country
Nepal
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Government - National
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Profile
The Nepali Ministry of Defense is the government body tasked with overseeing the country's defense and military affairs. It formulates national defense policy and strategic guidance for the armed forces. The ministry manages the defense budget, allocating resources for personnel, equipment, and infrastructure. It supervises the Nepal Army, ensuring organizational readiness, training, and operational effectiveness. The ministry coordinates defense procurement processes, overseeing acquisition of weapons systems and military matériel. It represents Nepal in bilateral and multilateral defense dialogues, contributing to regional security cooperation. In times of natural disaster or civil emergency, the ministry can mobilize armed forces to support civil authorities. The ministry also oversees defense-related research and development initiatives aimed at enhancing military capabilities. Its headquarters are situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.
As a department of the Nepali state, the ministry operates under the direct authority of the government and has no private parent or subsidiary organizations. Its distinguishing attributes include a specialized focus on defense strategy, military administration, and the safeguarding of national sovereignty. The ministry functions as both a policy‑making body and an overseer of military execution, placing it at the core of the country's security architecture. It maintains liaison with the National Security Council and other ministries to align defense objectives with broader national interests. The ministry's competencies encompass strategic planning, resource management, and civil‑military coordination. A notable event that highlighted its profile was the December 2020 cyberespionage campaign conducted by the SideWinder APT group, which targeted the ministry alongside Afghan entities. The attackers used credential‑phishing emails and malicious mobile applications, employing regional territorial disputes as lures to deliver backdoors. The operation aimed to exfiltrate sensitive intelligence from defense and governmental systems, demonstrating the ministry's exposure to sophisticated cyber threats. This incident underscores the necessity for robust cybersecurity protections within the ministry's overall mission to protect national defense assets.