| No. | Portrait |
Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|
| 1 | | Laidoner, JohanGeneral
Johan Laidoner
(1884–1953)
[a] | 23 December 1918
1 December 1924
12 March 1934 | 26 March 1920
8 January 1925
22 June 1940 | 1 year, 94 days
38 days
6 years, 102 days
Total: 7 years, 234 days | 
Army |
| 2 | | Jonson, GustavMajor General
Gustav Jonson
(1880–1942)
[b] | 22 June 1940 | 3 September 1940 | 73 days |
Army
Cavalry |
Vacant
Soviet and German occupations |
| 3 | | Maide, JaanMajor General
Jaan Maide
(1896–1945)
[c] | 18 September 1944 | 24 October 1944 | 36 days |
Army |
Vacant
Soviet occupation |
| 4 | | Einseln, AleksanderGeneral
Aleksander Einseln
(1931–2017)
[d] | 1 May 1993 | 4 December 1995 | 2 years, 217 days |
Army | [1][2] |
| 5 | | Kert, JohannesLieutenant General
Johannes Kert
(1959–2021)
[e] | 23 January 1996 | 30 June 2000 | 4 years, 159 days | 
Defence League | [4] |
| – | | Ermus, AarneLieutenant colonel
Aarne Ermus
(born 1966)
Acting | 30 June 2000 | 21 September 2000 | 83 days |
Army | [5] |
| 6 | | Kõuts, TarmoVice Admiral
Tarmo Kõuts
(born 1953)
[f] | 21 September 2000 | 14 November 2006 | 6 years, 54 days | 
Border Guard |
| 7 | | Laaneots, AntsGeneral
Ants Laaneots
(born 1948) | 5 December 2006 | 5 December 2011 | 5 years, 0 days |
Army |
| 8 | | Terras, RihoGeneral
Riho Terras
(born 1967) | 5 December 2011 | 5 December 2018 | 7 years, 0 days |
Army | [6] |
| 9 | | Herem, MartinGeneral
Martin Herem
(born 1973) | 5 December 2018 | 30 June 2024 | 5 years, 208 days |
Army | [7] |
| 10 | | Merilo, AndrusLieutenant General
Andrus Merilo
(born 1973) | 1 July 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 319 days |
Army |
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