Patria and Lockheed Martin signed their second Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for direct cooperation within Finland´s F-35 industrial participation programme. 

This Memorandum provides the contractual framework for the stand-up and qualification of a landing gear doors production line at Patria’s Halli facility in Jämsä, Finland. The production line will deliver landing gear doors for the F-35 global fleet. 

According to the announcement, this long-term agreement for manufacturing 400 sets of F-35 landing gear doors is an important addition to Patria´s future capabilities. The further expertise of F-35 materials in connection with the F-35 Forward Fuselage Assembly is essential for Finland´s security of supply. 

The landing gear doors project is a key element of the F-35’s industrial participation solution in Finland to transfer technical and manufacturing experience in 5th-generation aircraft production. This project will provide decades of high-technology manufacturing work and enable Finnish industry to prepare for future operational and sustainment opportunities. 

The agreement is one of many projects Lockheed Martin is partnering on with Finnish industry, universities, and research groups, focused on F-35 production, sustainment and defence-related technologies. The F-35’s industrial participation solution in Finland creates strong competences via security of supply and is also significant for the national economy.  

Patria has several production locations except for Finland, like Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, and Spain. The company is owned by the State of Finland (50.1%) and Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (49.9%). Patria owns 50% of Nammo, and together these three companies form one of the leading Nordic defence partnerships.

It is recalled that the Finnish government selected the F35 as the winner of the HX Program on December 10, 2021, for a total of 64 F-35A aircraft. In the scope of the HX Program, Security of Supply (SoS) stands for sovereign capability for undisturbed sustainment of the HX weapon system in times of crisis. 

At the national level, SoS is guaranteed by establishing critical and supporting maintenance capabilities in Finland and by quantifying the necessary level of material stock in the country. Technological know-how and a capability to make airworthiness decisions independently are paramount for attaining the required level of SoS.

Also read: Patria | Delivery of NEMO Navy mortar systems to the Swedish Amphibious Forces

*Photo: Lockheed Martin Corporation