Military of Suriname

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Suriname's armed forces consist of the national army, under the control of the Minister of Defense, and a smaller civil police force, which reports to the Minister of Justice and Police. The national armed forces are comprised of some 2200 personnel, the majority of whom are deployed as light infantry security forces. A small air force, navy and military police also exist.

After the creation of the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Royal Netherlands Army was entrusted with the defense of Suriname, while the defense of the Netherlands Antilles was the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The army set up a separate Troepenmacht in Suriname (Forces in Suriname, TRIS). Upon independence in 1975, this force was turned into the Nationaal Leger, National Army. The Netherlands has provided limited military assistance to the Surinamese armed forces since the election of a democratic government in 1991. In recent years, the USA has provided training to military officers and policymakers to promote a better understanding of the role of the military in a civilian government. Also, since the mid-1990s, the People's Republic of China has been donating military equipment and logistical material to the Surinamese Armed Forces.