Surinamese Military Forces and Capabilities 1986

Talking Points on Suriname for DDCI and DDI – 18 December 1986

This document is part of this file: https://surinamepress.com/bb2/talking-points-on-suriname-for-ddci-and-ddi/


The small, poorly-trained, inadequately equipped Surinamese armed forces would have difficulty defending against an assault from any sizable, well-trained professional force.

1. Ground Forces*

  • 2,000-man infantry battalion
  • 450-man military police brigade
  • 200-man commando company (Echo Company); rebels ambushed commando unit during summer inflicting heavy casualties, unit commander reportedly defected to rebels

2. Navy*

  • 200-man element that is subordinate to national Army

3. Air Force*

  • 64-man element subordinate to Army Chief of Staff

4. Paramilitary Forces

  • 1,000-man civilian police force subordinate to military authority; lingering mistrust between military and this force
  • 1,000-man People’s Militia—poorly trained and leftist-leaning—recently armed by Bouterse to aid defense of capital if need arises

5. Major Airfields

  • Zanderij Airfield: country’s principal air facility. Located 30 km south of capital, country’s only international airport. Can accommodate C-130, C-141, and C-5A aircraft. Reportedly equipped with .50 caliber quad antiaircraft machinegun
  • Nieuw Nickerie: secondary importance, poor to fair condition, limited or no facilities. [CENSORED]
  • Wageningen: secondary importance, poor to fair condition, limited or no facilities. [CENSORED]
  • Zorg en Hoop: small partially paved airstrip in southern part of capital. In poor condition, but sometimes used by military. Reportedly equipped with .50 caliber quad antiaircraft machinegun

Note: Manpower figures reflect pre-hostility data

6. Weapons and Equipment

Although the Surinamese Army still has a large quantity of old Dutch equipment, it has been modernized with Brazilian equipment. The new equipment is in good shape, but will deteriorate rapidly unless maintenance improves. Much of the Dutch equipment is broken down, and the ammunition stocks for Dutch weapons have drastically deteriorated.

The inventory of the main weapons and equipment of the armed services is as follows:

Equipment TypeQuantity
AK-47 rifles100
Armored Vehicle, 90-mm gun, EE-9 Cascavel6
Armored Personnel Carrier, 7.62-mm MG, EE-11 Urutu15
Armored Personnel Carrier, .50-cal. MG, YP-4089
Coastal Patrol Boats3
Recoilless Gun, 57-mm, light17
Recoilless Gun, 75-mm2
Helicopter1
High-seas Patrol Boats3
Howitzer, 75-mmUnk
Mortar, 2-inch17
Mortar, 81-mm5
Machinegun, .50-cal., Me-HB, heavy14
Machinegun, .303-cal., Bren105
Machinegun, .30-cal., M1919A46
Submachinegun, 9-mm, Taurus400
Submachinegun, 9-mm, Uzi323
Rifle, .30-cal., M-12,918
Rifle, 7.62-mm, M964 FAL2,000
Pistol, 9-mm Browning510
Pistol, 9-mm, PT-92 Taurus500
Antiair Machinegun, .50-cal., M-55 quad4
Light Transport Aircraft5
Truck, 3/4-ton, EE-34 Engesa34
Truck, 3/4-ton, EE-34 Engesa Prisoner Transport6
Truck, 3/4-ton, EE-34 Engesa Ambulance5
Truck, 1 1/2-ton EE-15, EngesaUnk
Truck, 2 1/2-ton EE-25, Engesa15
Truck, 3-5 ton, DAF YA-314, 4×49
VW Van Ambulance6
Other Vehicles (Sedans, Pickups, Buses)274
Motorcycles (BMW and Honda)40

*Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo reportedly also has an antiaircraft gun.

Date:
December 19, 1986
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