Military profile
Suriname Military Strength
Suriname ranks #140 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 1,800 active personnel.
Suriname armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 1,800#141 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 0#84 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 0#113 of 145
- Army personnel
- 1,000#142 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 350#128 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 350#106 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 3#134 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 0#95 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 0#65 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 3#132 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 0#79 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 0#115 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 0#96 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 0#107 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 0#98 of 145
Naval power
- Aircraft carriers
- 0#8 of 113
- Destroyers
- 0#15 of 113
- Frigates
- 0#56 of 113
- Corvettes
- 0#47 of 113
- Submarines
- 0#44 of 113
- Patrol vessels
- 16#57 of 113
- Mine warfare vessels
- 0#53 of 113
Finance
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $9.5 billion#141 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Armed forces of Suriname
Branches and forces
Suriname National Army (Nationaal Leger or NL); Army (Landmacht), Navy (Marine); Air Force (Luchtmacht), Military Police (Korps Militaire Politie) Ministry of Justice and Police: Suriname Police Force (Korps Politie Suriname or KPS) (2026)
Personnel
approximately 2,000 National Army (2025)
Service age and conscription
18-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the Suriname Army has a limited inventory of older or secondhand armaments originating from such suppliers as Brazil, France, the Netherlands, and India (2025)
Good to know
the National Leger is responsible for defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Suriname against foreign aggression; other special tasks include border control and supporting domestic security as required; the military police, for example, have direct responsibility for immigration control at the country's ports of entry, and the military assists the police in combating crime, particularly narco-trafficking, including joint military and police patrols, as well as joint special security teams; in addition, the military provides aid and assistance during times of natural emergencies and participates in socio-economic development projects (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2019: 1.2% · 2018: 1.1% · 2017: 1.1% · 2016: 1.2% · 2015: 1.4%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Guyana
Brazil