Patria has signed an agreement with Pratt & Whitney to carry out the final assembly of the first F135 engines in Finland for the Finnish Air Force’s upcoming F-35 fleet. Under the deal, the US engine manufacturer has entrusted Patria with initial engine assembly, with responsibility later expanding to maintenance and repair services.
F135 engine production activities are already underway and will continue through 2030 at Patria’s newly established assembly and maintenance facility in Linnavuori, Nokia. The agreement builds on a framework contract signed in 2024 covering maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade (MRO&U) operations.
Finland’s first F-35A Lightning II aircraft is scheduled to arrive at Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi by the end of 2026, following its rollout at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in December 2025. While only one aircraft has been officially unveiled, 16 are currently on the production line. The first eight will initially be based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where Finnish Air Force pilots and ground personnel will undergo training.
The aircraft form part of Finland’s 2021 foreign military sales agreement with the United States for up to 64 F-35 fighters, valued at nearly $10 billion—the largest defence procurement in the country’s history—intended to replace the ageing F/A-18 Hornet fleet.
