Patria Vehicles Systems Land, today and tomorrow
By Paolo Valpolini
Located some 100 km north of Helsinki, Hämeenlinna is the home of Patria’s armoured vehicles business. Definitely the right location considering that the facility is based a few kilometres away from Parolannummi, home of the Finnish Army Armoured Brigade and of the very interesting Finnish Tank Museum, so we can say that this is Finland’s “armoured area”.
With about 1,600 AMV 8×8 produced or on order in seven different countries and four production facilities abroad manufacturing that armoured vehicle, Patria is definitely one of the big players in the wheeled armoured vehicles field.
Today Patria is a public limited liability company owned by the State of Finland (50.1%) and by Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace AS (49.9%). Subdivided into five business units, Aviation, International Support Partnerships, Land, Systems and Aerostructur es, Hämeenlinna is the home of the Land business unit dealing with armoured wheeled vehicles, mortar systems and related life cycle support services. Following the testing of Patria’s 6×6 and 8×8 carried out last December (click here to read) and having the opportunity to be back to Finland, it made sense to visit the home of Patria’s armoured vehicles, meeting once again Mr. Janne Räkköläinen, Senior Vice-President Vehicle Systems, Patria’s Land business unit, for a wider discussion on the present and future of his business unit.
Photo courtesy Patria
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