Finnish defense company Patria announced that it has successfully completed the assembly of Finland’s first F135 engine, which powers the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft. According to the company, the engine was assembled at Patria’s new facility in Linnavuori, Nokia, marking the start of a domestic production run that will continue until 2030 to support the Finnish Air Force’s upcoming F-35 fleet.
The first F135 fighter jet engine assembled by Patria has been successfully completed at Patria’s new facility in Linnavuori, Finland. The completion was celebrated today, 3 September, in Linnavuori at an event hosted by Patria. 👏
As a strategic partner of the @Puolustusvoimat… pic.twitter.com/XDRjiwEgQZ
— Patria Group (@group_patria) September 3, 2026
Patria press release:
Celebratory words were presented by: Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Chief Program Officer, F-35 of Patria Petri Hepola; Commander of the Finnish Air Force, Major General Timo Herranen; Director-General, National Armaments Director, Finnish Ministry of Defence Olli Ruutu; and Senior Director, F135, Pratt & Whitney Shanique Smith.
The first F135 fighter jet engine assembled by Patria has been successfully completed at Patria’s new facility in Linnavuori, Nokia, Finland. As a strategic partner of the Finnish Defence Forces, Patria is responsible for initially assembling, and in the future maintaining, repairing and overhauling the F135 engines in Finland. The completion of the first F135 engine was celebrated at an event hosted by Patria in Linnavuori on 3 September, 2026.
Patria and Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, agreed on final assembly of the first F135 engines in February 2026. Production is underway and is planned to continue until 2030 at the Linnavuori facility in Finland. Maintenance and sustainment activities will continue at Linnavuori throughout the entire lifecycle of Finland’s F-35 fleet.
“Patria’s part of the F-35 programme is progressing according to plan and has now entered full-scale production. The completion of the first F135 engine is a significant milestone and a strong start for F135 engine assembly in Finland. It demonstrates the successful cooperation between Patria, Pratt & Whitney, the Finnish Defence Forces and the Finnish Ministry of Defence, strenghtening Finland’s security of supply and deepening Patria’s role in the global F-35 supply chain,” says Petri Hepola, Chief Program Officer, F-35 at Patria.
“This is a significant milestone. The fact that our Joint Fighter fleet will be equipped with engines assembled in Finland is a clear demonstration of the close cooperation between the Finnish and US defence administrations and industries. At the same time, it reflects the confidence placed in the capabilities of Finnish industry. Patria is also strengthening its role as part of the F-35 production and sustainment ecosystem. The production line will be adapted for engine maintenance activities, and the expertise being built today will strongly support the domestic security of supply for our F-35 fleet in the future,” says Colonel (ret.) Henrik Elo, F-35 Program Director of Finnish Air Force.
“Assembly of Finland’s first F135 engine marks an important milestone in strengthening the global F-35 sustainment network and expanding propulsion capability in Finland,” says Jill Albertelli, President of Pratt & Whitney Military Engines. “This capability will support the readiness and resilience of Finland’s F-35 fleet while strengthening the collective defence of Finland and its NATO allies.”
In 2024, Patria and Pratt & Whitney signed the frame contract on the Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) operations of F135 engines. The direct employment impact of the agreement for Patria between 2025 and 2030 is estimated to be approximately 50 people. Finland’s first F-35A fighters are scheduled to arrive at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi in autumn 2026.