Upon independence in 1975, this force was turned into the Surinaamse Krijgsmacht (SKM):, Surinamese Armed Forces.
Forces. FN FAL- main rifle used by Army. FN F2000- used by some units. CETME Model L- seen in a parade. EE-9 Cascavel armoured car (45) EE-11 Urutu armoured personnel carrier (16) DAF YP-408 Dutch made 6x8 armoured vehicle (5) DAF YA440 trucks with M-55 anti-aircraft guns ZPU-1 towed anti-aircraft guns ==See also== Suriname Air Force Sportvereniging Nationaal Leger == References == == External links == Military units and formations established in 1975
Helicopters included the Bell 205 and Alouette III. ===Navy and Coast Guard=== In 1977 the Navy (Marine) of Suriname received three large patrol vessels from the Dutch, built by De Vries Scheepsbouw.
Delivery was between February 1977 and 1978 and the hull numbers were S-401, S-402 and S-403.
Delivery was between February 1977 and 1978 and the hull numbers were S-401, S-402 and S-403.
On February 25, 1980, a group of 15 non-commissioned officers and one junior officer, under the leadership of sergeant major Dési Bouterse, staged a coup d'état and overthrew the Government.
(Staf verzorgings Bataljon) A Military Police Corps. ===Air Force=== In 1982 a small air arm was formed within the Suriname defense force called "Surinaamse Luchtmacht" in short also called LUMA.
Unfortunately the aircraft was written off in March 1982 killing all five occupants (Major Henk Fernandes, second lieutenant Norman de Miranda, soldier Tjon a Kon and soldier Kowid and American pilot Foster Ford), but from May of the same year the Suriname Air Force was being equipped with four (Pilatus) Britten Norman BN-2B Defenders.
The first official Suriname Air Force Commander from 1983 until 1989 was air force pilot lieutenant Eddie Alenso Savalie Djoe.
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. ==Equipment== Beretta 92- seen in use during training with U.S.
In 1986 anti-government guerrilla activity prompted the government to acquire a pair of Aérospatiale SA.316B Alouette III (SAF-400 & SAF-500) helicopters from the Portuguese Air Force (Portuguese: Força Aérea Portuguesa), formerly registered FAP9350 & FAP9386.
These Amerindian insurgents fought from 1986 to 1989.
Also, since the mid-1990s, the People's Republic of China has been donating military equipment and logistical material to the Surinamese Armed Forces, as has Brazil. ==Organization== 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 Forces Corps. A Support Arm.
In 1987 a Bell 205 Iroquois (SAF-300) was acquired from Venezuela and used as a gunship for five years prior to sale to the US as N6594S in 1991.
It crashed in July 1987 due to a mechanical failure killing the American pilot Billy Pearson, seriously injuring the American mechanic and four other Surinamese crewmembers.
The first official Suriname Air Force Commander from 1983 until 1989 was air force pilot lieutenant Eddie Alenso Savalie Djoe.
He was one of the passenger victims of the Surinam Airways Flight 764 accident in June 1989, by then he was already promoted to the rank of Major. All aircraft of the Suriname Air Force undertake border patrols, utility transport and SAR (Search & Rescue) missions from the main base at Paramaribo - Zorg en Hoop and are occasionally detached to Zanderij - Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, Nieuw Nickerie - Major Fernandes Airfield, Albina Airstrip and Moengo Airstrip.
These Amerindian insurgents fought from 1986 to 1989.
Subsequently, the SKM was rebranded as Nationaal Leger (NL), National Army. The Netherlands has provided limited military assistance to the Surinamese armed forces since the election of a democratic government in 1991.
In 1987 a Bell 205 Iroquois (SAF-300) was acquired from Venezuela and used as a gunship for five years prior to sale to the US as N6594S in 1991.
Later on during the decade a Cessna 172 Skyhawk (SAF-007), a Cessna 206 (SAF-200) and in 1993 a Cessna T303 Crusader (SAF-008) was acquired.
The helicopter was later repaired and back in action. Two CASA 212-400s Aviocar transports (SAF-212 & SAF-214) Garret AiResearch TPE331-10HR turbo-prop engined aircraft were delivered in 1999.
In 2012 six experts from Venezuela made an assessment for the Suriname Air Force on the rehabilitation of the Casa 212 airplanes and now the Suriname Air Force has sold them to Fayard Enterprises in the USA. Three single engined Indian HAL Chetak helicopters were ordered in 2009.
In 2012 six experts from Venezuela made an assessment for the Suriname Air Force on the rehabilitation of the Casa 212 airplanes and now the Suriname Air Force has sold them to Fayard Enterprises in the USA. Three single engined Indian HAL Chetak helicopters were ordered in 2009.
The deal was previous rumoured to include the more modern twin engined HAL Dhruv helicopters, but this proved to be wrong. On 26 December 2012 ten technical personnel of the Suriname Air Force left to India to be trained to become certified helicopter mechanics.
All ships had their base at the Marine harbor on the Suriname river. Today most of the fleet of the Marine of Suriname are based at Boxel, close to the resort town of Domburg in the Wanica District on the Suriname river. In November 2012 the defence and internal affairs Ministry of Suriname bought three patrol vessels from the French company Ocea for the Coast Guard.
The first Fast Patrol Boat (P201), a 32 meters long, 6,3 meters wide FPB 98 type, was delivered in June 2013.
Delivery of the remaining two vessels (P101 & P102), FPB 72 types (24 meters long), occurred by the end of July, 2013.
In 2014 eight helicopter pilots from the Suriname Air Force were trained on operating the HAL Chetak helicopters in Bangalore, India.
In 2014 it was announced that Suriname's order for helicopters from India was in fact for HAL Chetak and not the HAL Dhruv even as the Chetak production line was planned to be shut down.
John Achong. Beneath the President and Minister of Defense is the Commander of the Armed Forces (Bevelhebber van de Strijdkrachten), Colonel Hedwig Gilaard, whose headquarters is in Paramaribo, was followed-up after three years by Colonel Ronni Benschop, who in turn was promoted to Brigade General in February 2014.
Rumours aside, by the end of January 2015 the three Indian Chetak helicopters were assembled and delivered in Suriname as SAF-H001 (c/n AH-350), SAF-H002 (c/n AH-351) & SAF-H003 (c/n AH-352).
Finally on 13 March 2015 the helicopter fleet of three Chetaks was officially handed over by the Indian ambassador Subashini Murgesan to the Minister of Defence of Suriname Lamuré Latour in a ceremony at Zorg en Hoop.
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