As a strategic partner of the Finnish Defence Forces, Patria will initially assemble the engines and later carry out maintenance and repair activities. Finland’s first F-35A fighter aircraft are scheduled to arrive at the Lapland Air Wing base in Rovaniemi at the end of 2026.
“It’s inspiring to see our joint efforts materialize – not only in building new capabilities for the F 35 programme, but now also in taking the first concrete steps toward F135 production at the new facility by Patria’s experts,” said Petri Hepola, Patria’s Chief Program Officer, F 35. “The Linnavuori facility and our growing Patria team are central to this progress and to the upcoming F135 engine assembly and maintenance work.”
“Patria’s capabilities will strengthen the F135 engine sustainment network and the collective defence of Finland and its NATO allies,” said André McMillian, Vice President for Sustainment Operations at Pratt & Whitney. “This agreement ensures that Patria-assembled engines will power Finland’s F-35 fleet for decades to come.”
The agreement builds on a 2024 framework contract covering maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade operations for the F135 engine, with Patria estimating a direct employment impact of about 50 people between 2025 and 2030. To mark the start of production, a Second World War-era Pratt & Whitney engine recovered from a lake in Orivesi in spring 2025 has been conserved and placed on display at the Linnavuori facility.
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