Patria assembles Finland’s first F135 engine in Nokia

Patria has completed assembly of Finland’s first F135 fighter engine at its Linnavuori facility in Nokia. The production line is expected to employ about 50 people through 2030, Tamperelainen reports.

The F135 powers Finland’s incoming F‑35 fleet. The first jets are expected to arrive in Rovaniemi by the end of the year. Under a February agreement with Pratt & Whitney, engine assembly and maintenance work will take place in Finland, and Patria says the domestic line and the skills developed there will boost the fleet’s sustainment and strengthen Finland’s defence capabilities.

Petri Hepola, Patria’s F‑35 project director, described the first engine’s completion as an important milestone for the company and the wider Finnish defence industry. Air Force representatives and Pratt & Whitney leaders praised the achievement, saying it shows close international cooperation and Finnish industrial expertise.

The development builds on the Tampere region’s growing role in defence and dual‑use technology Tampere emerging as a leading hub for defence and dual‑use technologies and follows industry cooperation showcased at a Tampere summit earlier this year where Finnish and Ukrainian firms deepened defence ties.