Patria and Pratt & Whitney Agree on Final Assembly of First F135 Fighter Jet Engines for Finland

Finnish defense and technology company Patria has finalized an agreement with RTX's Pratt & Whitney for the final assembly of the first F135 fighter jet engines in Finland. Production is now underway at Patria's new assembly and maintenance facility in Linnavuori, Nokia, and is scheduled to continue until 2030.

Patria will be responsible for the initial assembly and future maintenance and repair of the F135 engines as a strategic partner to the Finnish Defence Forces. The first Finnish F-35A fighter jets are expected to arrive at the Lapland Air Wing base in Rovaniemi in late 2026.

"It’s inspiring to see our joint efforts materialize – not only in building new capabilities for the F-35 program, but now also in taking the first concrete steps toward F135 production at the new facility by Patria’s experts. The Linnavuori facility and our growing Patria team are central to this progress and to the upcoming F135 engine assembly and maintenance work," stated Petri Hepola, Patria's Chief Program Officer for the F-35.

"Patria's capabilities will strengthen the F135 engine sustainment network and the collective defense 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 companies signed a framework contract in 2024 for the Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul, and Upgrade (MRO&U) operations of F135 engines. The agreement is expected to create approximately 50 direct jobs at Patria between 2025 and 2030. To commemorate the start of production, a World War II-era Pratt & Whitney engine recovered from a Finnish lake has been placed on display at the Linnavuori facility.