The Netherlands has provided limited military assistance to the Surinamese armed forces since the election of a democratic government in 1991.

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.

The first military aircraft of the young air force was a Hughes 500 - Model 369D helicopter, simply registered SAF-100 and being used for light observation tasks.

However the aircraft crashed 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),[2] but from May of the same year the Suriname Air Force was being equipped with four (Pilatus) Britten Norman BN-2B Defenders.

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.

[6] In a deal worth US$13.4 million with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited [HAL], facilitated through a line of credit from India.

The deal was previous rumoured to include the more modern twin engined HAL Dhruv helicopters, but this proved to be wrong.

[7] [8] On 26 December 2012 ten technical personnel of the Suriname Air Force left to India to be trained to become certified helicopter mechanics.

[12] 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.

[13][14] On the same day and occasion the Minister announced that a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter was about to be added to the airfleet of the Suriname Air Force shortly, with pilots already in training.

[15] In 1977 the Navy (Marine) of Suriname received three large patrol vessels from the Dutch, built by De Vries Scheepsbouw.

Today most of the fleet of the navy are based at Boxel, close to the resort town of Domburg in the Wanica District on the Suriname river.

[16] The Surinamese Government ordered the three vessels, accelerating planning to set up a coast guard for Suriname that will be deployed to conduct patrol duties and fight maritime crime activities like illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and piracy.

While the first three boats will barely be sufficient to patrol Suriname's territorial waters and combat maritime crime activities such piracy, rapid reaction is now possible.

The Surinamese government does not intend to make cuts to the Navy (Marine), once the Coast Guard is fully operational.

The Policy Centre is responsible for the care of the armed forces so that timely and adequate it can perform the duties or missions assigned to it by law in an efficient and effective manner.

Also providing assistance in the preparation and implementation of projects related to the socio-economic development of Suriname There are several military installations, barracks and detachments in the various districts including the Memre Boekoe barracks (Paramaribo), the Naval Marine base (Wanica District), the Air Force Luma base (Zorg en Hoop, Paramaribo), the training centre for recruits namely the Ayoko barracks [nl] and the detachment Zanderij, the eastern border post, the Akontoe Velantie Kazerne at Albina, in Nickerie the western border post, the Professor Dr. Ali Kazerne and on the Kennedy Highway to Concordia the 1st Sgt Martowidjojo Kazerne.

The Armed Forces of Suriname were engaged in a domestic war against a few hundred rebels who named themselves "Jungle Commandos" led by Ronnie Brunswijk between 1986 and 1992.

[20] Surinamese armed forces also fought against the Resistance Amerindian groups who called themselves "Tucayana Amazonas" and were led by Alex Jubitana and Thomas Sabajo.

On 12 September 2012, Surinamese 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.