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 Type Quantity
AK-47 rifles 100
Armored Vehicle, 90-mm gun, EE-9 Cascavel 6
Armored Personnel Carrier, 7.62-mm MG, EE-11 Urutu 15
Armored Personnel Carrier, .50-cal. MG, YP-408 9
Coastal Patrol Boats 3
Recoilless Gun, 57-mm, light 17
Recoilless Gun, 75-mm 2
Helicopter 1
High-seas Patrol Boats 3
Howitzer, 75-mm Unk
Mortar, 2-inch 17
Mortar, 81-mm 5
Machinegun, .50-cal., Me-HB, heavy 14
Machinegun, .303-cal., Bren 105
Machinegun, .30-cal., M1919A4 6
Submachinegun, 9-mm, Taurus 400
Submachinegun, 9-mm, Uzi 323
Rifle, .30-cal., M-1 2,918
Rifle, 7.62-mm, M964 FAL 2,000
Pistol, 9-mm Browning 510
Pistol, 9-mm, PT-92 Taurus 500
Antiair Machinegun, .50-cal., M-55 quad 4
Light Transport Aircraft 5
Truck, 3/4-ton, EE-34 Engesa 34
Truck, 3/4-ton, EE-34 Engesa Prisoner Transport 6
Truck, 3/4-ton, EE-34 Engesa Ambulance 5
Truck, 1 1/2-ton EE-15, Engesa Unk
Truck, 2 1/2-ton EE-25, Engesa 15
Truck, 3-5 ton, DAF YA-314, 4×4 9
VW Van Ambulance 6
Other Vehicles (Sedans, Pickups, Buses) 274
Motorcycles (BMW and Honda) 40

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

Source:

CIA-RDP91B00874R000200250004-0

Link:

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91B00874R000200250004-0.pdf

Internal Link:

https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Talking-Points-on-Suriname-for-DDCI-and-DDI-1986-CIA-RDP91B00874R000200250004-0.pdf

Date:

December 19, 1986

Categories:

Desi Bouterse, Planned Suriname Invasion

Tags:

CIA, DDCI, DDI, Invasion

Boxes:

CIA-RDP91B00874R

Years:

1986

Persons:

Desi Bouterse

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