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 ''Surinaamse Krijgsmacht'' (SKM):, Surinamese Armed Forces. On 25 February 1980, a group of 15 non-commissioned officers and one junior SKM officer, under the leadership of Dési Bouterse, overthrew the government. Subsequently, the SKM was rebranded as ''Nationaal Leger'' (NL), National Army.