It was originally established on 8 December 1936 as the People's Commissariat of Defence Industry of the USSR on the basis of the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry of the USSR.
The ministry was re-established on 2 March 1965 from the State Committee for Defense Technology.
It was responsible for conventional ground forces weapons, solid propellant missiles and optical systems.
[1] The seat was located in Moscow at the Ulanski alley (Уланский переулок) 16 and 22 in the building (designed by DF Fridman) built in 1936 for the purpose of Metrostroy (Мосметрострой) tube building company.
Since 1939 the building was the headquarters of the People's Commissariat of Aviation Industry (Народный комиссариат авиационной промышленности – Наркомавиапром).