Suriname National Army
Suriname National Army | |
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US$ 60,000,000 | |
Percent of GDP | 0.7% |
Industry | |
Foreign suppliers | |
Related articles | |
History | 1980 Surinamese coup d'état Surinamese Interior War |
Ranks | Military ranks of Suriname |
After the creation of the
The
Organization
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2021) |
Suriname's National Armed Forces are composed of some 2,500 personnel, the majority of whom are deployed in the Army of Suriname.
Army
- A Light Infantry Battalion(33ste Bataljon der Infanterie) Formed in 1987.
- A Special ForcesCorps.
- A Support Arm. (Staf verzorgings Bataljon)
- A Military PoliceCorps.
Air Force
In 1982 a small air arm was formed within the Suriname defense force called "Surinaamse Luchtmacht" in short also called LUMA. The first military aircraft of the young air force was a
All aircraft of the
Two
Three single engined Indian
Current inventory
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Helicopters
| ||||||
HAL Chetak
|
India | SAR/Utility | 3 | 1 Chetak attached with a M2 Browning |
Retired aircraft
Previous aircraft operated by the Air Wing include the
In 1977 the Navy (Marine) of Suriname received three large patrol vessels from the Dutch, built by De Vries Scheepsbouw. With a length of 32 meters each ship had two Paxman 12YHMC diesel engines of 1200HP performing a maximum speed of 20 knots. Delivery was between February 1977 and 1978 and the hull numbers were S-401, S-402 and S-403. Now all three are out of service, the last one S-401 later P-401 is still moored at the Marine Harbor. One was re-built as a luxurious yacht. All ships had their base at the Marine harbor on the Suriname river.
Today most of the fleet of the navy are based at Boxel, close to the resort town of Domburg in the Wanica District on the Suriname river.
In November 2012 The Ministry of Defense bought three patrol vessels for the
The coast guard is a branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Soldiers were transferred from the Navy, to form the initial coast guard staff. The Maritime Authority of Suriname (MAS) is currently training 16 students from the Nature Technical Institute (NaTIn) and Technical Faculty of University of Suriname on how to conduct technical maintenance of the vessels. While the first three boats will barely be sufficient to patrol Suriname's territorial waters and combat maritime crime activities such piracy, rapid reaction is now possible.
The unit has its own base on the banks of the Suriname River in Paramaribo, with posts at the border with Guyana (in western District Nickerie) and French Guiana (in eastern District Marowijne). Legislation on which the coast guard will be founded is almost finished. It will soon be tabled in the Council of Ministers and the Council of State, after which it will head for the National Assembly for approval. The new unit is a civil organisation, with authority to enforce the law in Suriname territorial waters. The Surinamese government does not intend to make cuts to the Navy (Marine), once the Coast Guard is fully operational. The Navy will keep operating in the high seas outside the 100-nautical-mile (190-kilometre) zone.
Command structure
The President of the Republic is the head of the armed forces, with the title of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (Opperbevelhebber van de Strijdkrachten).The President is assisted by the Minister of Defence in his role over the armed forces.
Beneath the President and Minister of Defense is the Commander of the Armed Forces (Bevelhebber van de Strijdkrachten),
The Commander called "Bevelhebber", is the Military Chief, charged with command over the different Military Branches. The Military Branches and regional Military Commands report to the Commander.
Commanding officers of the Suriname Armed Forces at present
- President Chan Santokhi Supreme Commander-in-Chief
- Krishna Mathoera, Minister of Defence
- Abdoelrahman S., Director of the Ministry of Defence
- Colonel Henri van Axeldongen, Commander of the Armed Forces
- Lieutenant ColonelWerner Kioe A Sen, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces
- Lieutenant ColonelBob Mangal, Chief of Staff
- Lieutenant ColonelFranklin Blokland, Commander of the Navy
- Lieutenant Colonel Ashok Jagdew, Commander of the Army(Landmacht)
- Lieutenant ColonelPetrus Wasimin, Commander of the Military Police Corps
- Lieutenant ColonelLea Hynes-Parris, Inspector General of the Armed Forces
- Major Radjoe Bhola, Acting Director of the Coast Guard,
Commanders of the Suriname Armed Forces
The Armed Forces is headquartered in Paramaribo.
The task of the national army of Suriname is defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Suriname against foreign armed military aggression. That is, the defense of not only the territory but also the territorial waters and the airspace above it.
The Ministry of Defence consists of the Policy Centre and the operational part (the national army) that makes up the Defence Organization. The Ministry of Defence has no departments. There are various services and units. The Policy Centre is responsible for the care of the armed forces so that timely and adequate it can perform the duties or missions assigned to it by law in an efficient and effective manner. Providing assistance to international organizations, if and to the extent that command is given for that purpose by the relevant authority. This is e.g. for humanitarian operations of the United Nations. Also providing assistance in the preparation and implementation of projects related to the socio-economic development of Suriname
There are several military installations, barracks and detachments in the various districts including the Memre Boekoe barracks (Paramaribo), the Naval Marine base (Wanica District), the Air Force Luma base (Zorg en Hoop, Paramaribo), the training centre for recruits namely the Ayoko barracks and the detachment Zanderij, the eastern border post, the Akontoe Velantie Kazerne at Albina, in Nickerie the western border post, the Professor Dr. Ali Kazerne and on the Kennedy Highway to Concordia the 1st Sgt Martowidjojo Kazerne. There are also various detachments and the so-called small stations throughout Suriname in the districts Sipaliwini, Saramacca, Brokopondo and Para. But also the protection of important objects such as the Afobaka Dam or the bridge over the Coppename River in Bitagron belong to the protective task of the National Army of Suriname.
Conflicts
Surinamese Interior War
The Armed Forces of Suriname were engaged in a domestic war against a few hundred freedom fighters who named themselves "Jungle Commandos" led by Ronnie Brunswijk between 1986 and 1992.[22]
Surinamese armed forces also fought against the Resistance Amerindian groups who called themselves "Tucayana Amazonas" and were led by Alex Jubitana and Thomas Sabajo. These Amerindian insurgents fought from 1986 to 1989. They opposed the expropriation of land owned by indigenous people and discrimination by the military regime.[citation needed]
Role
- Defend the territorial integrity of Suriname.
- Assist the civil power in the maintenance of law and order when required.
- Contribute to the economic development of Suriname.
The Army also participated in the Multi-National Force in Haiti in the 90's and were redeployed in 2010.[23]
Army ranks
Suriname shares a rank structure similar to that of the Netherlands.[24]
Commissioned officer ranks
The rank insignia of
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suriname Army[25] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brigade-generaal | Kolonel | Luitenant-kolonel | Majoor | Kapitein/ Ritmeester |
1e Luitenant | 2e Luitenant | Vaandrig/ Kornet |
Other ranks
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suriname Army[25] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adjudant | Sergeant-majoor | Sergeant der 1e klasse | Sergeant | Korporaal der 1e klasse | Korporaal | Soldaat der 1e klasse | Soldaat |
- 7 patrol boats
- River Patrol Boat
- Inflatable boat
- Tug T-001 - ex-East German Navy Project 1381 Type 414 Karl Heinz I[26]
- Patrol Vessels (5)
- P201 (FPB 98 type patrol boat)
- P101 (FPB 72type patrol boat)
- P102 (FPB 72type patrol boat)
Future
With latest procurement of three HAL Chetak helicopters from India for the Air Force and three patrol vessels from France for the new Coast Guard the Armed Forces of Suriname should be better equipped to fulfill its roles in the future.
On September 12, 2012. The Suriname defense minister, Lamouré Latour, discussed with the Brazilian defense minister the possibility of the Military of Suriname acquiring from two to four Brazilian Embraer AT-29B Super Tucano light attack (COIN) trainer planes, 500 ton light patrol ships and the revitalization of the armoured vehicles supplied from Brazil in 1983.[27]
Equipment
Beretta 92- seen in use during training with U.S. Forces.
FN FAL- main rifle used by Army.
FN F2000- used by some units.
CETME Model L- seen in a parade.
FAMAS - France has donated several hundred FAMAS bullpup rifles to Suriname’s armed forces.[28]
EE-9 Cascavel Armoured car (45)
EE-11 Urutu Armoured personnel carrier (16)
DAF YP-408 Dutch made 6x8 armoured vehicle (5)
ZPU-1 Towed anti-aircraft guns
See also
References
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Hughes 500D (369D) SAF-100, 31 Mar 1982". aviation-safety.net. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Bell 205A-1 Iroquois SAF-300, 07 Jul 1987". aviation-safety.net. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ "One Of Two Americans Reported Killed In Crash Of Army Helicopter". Apnewsarchive.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
- ^ "casa - 1999 - 2285 - Flight Archive". Flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "HAL Executes Export Order For Chetak Helicopters To Suriname - Hands Over 2 Of The 3 Contracted - AA Me, IN". Aame.in. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "India ready to deliver three Dhruv copters to Suriname army". Pakistan Defence. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "::Avianet.eu:: De luchtvaartsite van Nederland". Avianet.eu. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Republiek Suriname - Overheid - TECHNICI LUCHTMACHT NAAR INDIA VOOR BIJSCHOLING". Gov.sr. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Indian helicopters already being flown by Surinamese pilots - Times of Suriname – grootste landelijke dagblad van Suriname". Times of Suriname - grootste landelijke dagblad van Suriname. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Starnieuws - Eerste Chetak helikopter in elkaar gezet op basis Luchtmacht". m.starnieuws.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
- ^ "Eerste van drie indiase Chetak helikopters gemonteerd". Archived from the original on 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ^ "Starnieuws - Luchtmacht weer operationeel met eigen heli's". Starnieuws.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ^ "Helikopters SNL ceremonieel overgedragen". Archived from the original on 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ^ "World Air Forces pg. 57". Flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
- ^ "Kustwacht heeft nog geen personeel voor drie nieuwe Franse patrouilleboten – Laatste twee schepen nu ook in Suriname - Obsession Magazine". Obsession Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Starnieuws - Benschop wordt officieel legerleider en brigade-generaal". Starnieuws.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Ministerie van Defensie - Het Nationaal Leger". Gov.sr. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Nationaal Leger heeft heeft geen gemakkelijke taak". 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Nieuwe legerleiding gepresenteerd".
- ^ "Kolonel Kartodikromo wordt nieuwe bevelhebber Nationaal Leger". 13 March 2019.
- ^ "Rijkelijk Laat". 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Latin American Para-Military Groups". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
- ^ "Naharnet — Lebanon's leading news destination". Naharnet. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- LCCN 79-9217. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ LCCN 79-9217. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "KARL HEINZ 1 - IMO 8872203 - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker". Shipspotting.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-26. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
- ^ "Brasil moderniza estruturas de defesa da Guiana e do Suriname - Forças Terrestres - ForTe - Estratégia, Tecnologia Militar e Segurança". Forças Terrestres - ForTe - Estratégia, Tecnologia Militar e Segurança. 12 September 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Suriname armed forces receive French FAMAS assault rifles | Defense News September 2023 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2023 | Archive News year". 25 September 2023.
External links
- Media related to Military of Suriname at Wikimedia Commons