Patria Completes First F135 Engine Assembly in Finland

The milestone marks the start of F135 engine production in Finland and strengthens the country’s role in the global F-35 production and sustainment network.

MBT

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Finnish defence company Patria has completed the assembly of Finland’s first F135 fighter engine at its new facility in Linnavuori, Nokia, marking the beginning of F135 engine production in the country.

Patria will initially assemble F135 engines for the Finnish Defence Forces and will later provide maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) services throughout the operational lifetime of Finland’s F-35 fleet.

Patria and Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, agreed in February 2026 to establish F135 final assembly operations in Finland. Production is expected to continue through 2030, after which the Linnavuori facility will transition primarily to engine maintenance and sustainment activities.

Patria said the completion of the first engine represents a major milestone in Finland’s participation in the F-35 programme and reflects close cooperation between Patria, Pratt & Whitney, the Finnish Defence Forces and the Ministry of Defence.

The production line has been designed to support a future transition to engine maintenance operations. Patria and Pratt & Whitney had already signed a framework agreement in 2024 covering MRO&U activities for F135 engines.

The Finnish Air Force also highlighted the significance of having engines assembled domestically, describing the development as evidence of close cooperation between Finnish and US defence industries and administrations. The programme is expected to strengthen Finland’s domestic security of supply and technical expertise.

Pratt & Whitney said the new capability will contribute to the resilience and readiness of Finland’s F-35 fleet while strengthening the wider F-35 sustainment network and collective defence capabilities among Finland and its NATO allies.

The MRO&U programme is expected to directly employ approximately 50 people at Patria between 2025 and 2030. The facility will eventually support Finland’s domestic engine sustainment requirements as F-35A aircraft enter operational service.

Finland’s first F-35A fighter aircraft are scheduled to arrive at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi in autumn 2026, marking the beginning of the country’s operational F-35 fleet and its future reliance on domestic F135 maintenance capabilities.