Patria completes assembly of Finland's first F135 engine

Patria has assembled its first F135 jet engine in Finland, at the new facility in Linnavuori, marking the start of full-scale production to power Finland's F-35 aircraft. The engines will later also be maintained and overhauled on site, while the first F-35A aircraft are expected at the Lapland Air Wing this autumn.

Daniel TrangeledFINLAND14 Sept 2026Original Source

Patria has completed assembly of the first F135 fighter jet engine built in Finland. The engine was assembled at Patria's new facility in Linnavuori, Nokia. The achievement was marked at an event there on 3 September 2026.

Patria is a strategic partner of the Finnish Defence Forces. The company will assemble the F135 engines that power Finland's F-35 fighters, and later maintain, repair and overhaul them.

Patria and Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, agreed in February 2026 to begin final assembly of F135 engines in Finland. Production at Linnavuori is planned to run until 2030. The site will then shift to maintenance and sustainment work for the lifetime of Finland's F-35 fleet.

"The completion of the first F135 engine is a significant milestone and a strong start for F135 engine assembly in Finland," said Petri Hepola, Chief Program Officer, F-35 at Patria. He said the programme has now entered full-scale production.

Colonel (ret.) Henrik Elo, F-35 Program Director of the Finnish Air Force, said that this success "reflects the confidence placed in the capabilities of Finnish industry" and is a "clear demonstration of the close cooperation between the Finnish and US defence administrations and industries".

Finland's first F-35A fighters are due at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi this autumn.

Common questions about the article

Questions and answers generated automatically from the article content.

01What milestone did Patria achieve at its Linnavuori facility in September 2026?

Patria completed assembly of the first F135 fighter jet engine built in Finland, marked at an event on 3 September 2026. The engine was assembled at Patria's new facility in Linnavuori, Nokia, entering the programme into full-scale production according to Petri Hepola, Chief Program Officer, F-35 at Patria. Last fact-checked: 2026-09-14.

02When did Patria and Pratt & Whitney agree to begin F135 engine assembly in Finland, and how long will production run?

03Which unit will receive Finland's first F-35A fighters this autumn?