During a budget debate held in Suriname’s National Assembly on June 20, Defence Minister Uraiqit Ramsaran has made a striking public remark regarding the country’s marine vessel the Barracuda, acknowledging that the €17 million-plus investment in the ship would not have been his top priority if the decision had been left to him. This comment came in response to questions from multiple assembly members focused on the acquisition, total costs, and operational deployment of the vessel, which remains active in maritime operations to this day.
Minister Ramsaran detailed the financial structure of the deal, explaining that the Barracuda was acquired through a five-year lease-to-own agreement with a total cumulative value of approximately €17.3 million. Under the terms of the contract, the country is obligated to pay roughly €2.3 million in annual lease installments over the contract period. He further confirmed that the acquisition did not follow the standard open tender process, instead proceeding through an alternative, non-competitive procurement route.
While the minister confirmed that the Barracuda is currently used for surveillance and patrol missions across Suriname’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, he made clear that he would have directed the same budget toward different national defence priorities. “Based on my own observations and insights, given the limited resources available to us, I would almost certainly have set different priorities,” Ramsaran told the assembly.
Among the alternative investments Ramsaran highlighted are expanded air transport capabilities, specifically the purchase of a dedicated transport or cargo plane. Such an asset, he argued, would allow the military to move personnel, equipment, and supplies far more quickly to remote outposts located in Suriname’s inland regions. The country’s vast geographical distances and reliance on variable water levels for overland and river travel make expanded aerial logistics capacity a critical need for national defence, Ramsaran added.
The minister emphasized that Suriname’s national defence sector continues to face massive unmet investment needs, requiring that every available budget allocation be used as efficiently as possible to boost the overall operational capacity of the country’s armed forces. Despite his critical remarks about the original investment decision, Ramsaran stressed that the Barracuda remains a fully functional and active asset. As recently as the past week, the vessel took part in a joint counter-illegal fishing operation that also resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of illegal narcotics, which has since been transferred to competent law enforcement authorities for further processing.