Patria has signed an agreement with Pratt & Whitney to conduct the final assembly of the first F135 engines in Finland for the Finnish Air Force’s incoming F-35 fighter fleet. Under the deal, Patria will initially handle engine assembly, with responsibility later expanding to maintenance and repair services.
Production activities are already underway and will continue through 2030 at Patria’s newly established engine assembly and sustainment facility in Linnavuori, near Nokia. The agreement builds on a framework contract concluded in 2024 that covers maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade (MRO&U) operations.
Finland is expected to receive its first F-35A Lightning II aircraft at Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi toward the end of 2026, following its rollout at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant in Texas in December 2025. Although only one aircraft has been officially unveiled, 16 jets are currently in production. The first eight will initially be based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where Finnish Air Force pilots and maintainers will undergo training.
The aircraft are part of Helsinki’s 2021 foreign military sales agreement with the United States for up to 64 fifth-generation fighters, valued at nearly $10 billion. The acquisition, Finland’s largest-ever arms deal, will replace the Air Force’s aging F/A-18 Hornet fleet.
