Construction of Patria's military vehicle plant begins in Valmiera
Patria Latvia has started building a new military equipment plant in Valmiera. The investment is close to €8 million, and completion is planned for the third quarter of 2027.
Construction has begun on a new military equipment plant in the Valmiera Industrial and Export Park. The facility is being built by Patria Latvia and will be the second of its kind in Latvia, alongside the Defence Partnership Latvia factory located in the same park.
The new plant is intended to produce Patria 6x6 armoured personnel carriers and GDELS Mednieks infantry fighting vehicles, and to provide full life-cycle support for them. It is also expected to carry out other defence-sector projects, contributing to the maintenance and development of the military capabilities of Latvia and its allies.
Investment and timeline
Patria's investment in the project comes to nearly €8 million, including European Union funding. The plant is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2027.
Comments from officials
Uģis Romanovs, who leads new business development at Patria and serves as chief executive of Patria Latvia and Defence Partnership Latvia, said the plant will allow the company to expand armoured carrier production and to assemble Mednieks fighting vehicles in Latvia. In his view, involving local companies strengthens supply security and technological expertise, and ensures the support the National Armed Forces need is available in Latvia.
Defence Minister Raivis Melnis described the plant as a significant contribution to the development of the domestic defence industry. He said the aim is to build local industrial capacity that makes it possible to produce and maintain armoured vehicles on site while strengthening supply security and resilience.
About the company
Patria is an international defence and technology company with more than 100 years of experience. It operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Japan. The company is owned by the Finnish state (50.1%) and Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (49.9%). Patria also holds a 50% stake in Norway's Nammo, and together the three companies form a leading defence partnership in the Nordic region.
