Ensures Fleet Performance Over Entire Lifecycle

Continuing to demonstrate innovation and out-of-the-box thinking in pursuit of growth, Patria launched its new OPTIME modular logistics solution at IDEX 2023 on 21 February. Combining robust engineering and maintenance expertise with data analysis in a unique manner, aimed at the sustainment of various kinds of fleets, OPTIME ensures they are always ready for operations – at an optimal cost.

Patria has provided MRO and technical training services for the vehicle fleets of the Finnish Defence Forces for over a century. OPTIME leverages this combat-proven heritage, together with a data-driven service model, to ensure operational availability and cost-effectiveness in all conditions. It covers a broad range of services and solutions impacting availability, such as fleet maintenance, upcoming modification projects and integrations required in later lifecycle stages, as well as supply chain management and training services.

OPTIME is a modular service model, tailored to customer requirements. The customisation process starts from an initial assessment of the current fleet sustainment solution, conducted together to review the status and technical condition of the equipment, as well as current benefits and challenges. Based on this assessment, the proposed solution will kickstart initial development actions for fleet availability, and establish the exact manner in which effective cooperation can be established. This ensures the customer gains maximum benefit and cost-effectiveness over the entire lifecycle.

The solution is completely scalable – from a single fleet to a broader combination of fleets in different operating environments on land, at sea and in the air. Patria OPTIME is asset agnostic – it is not limited to specific OEM equipment. It is a data-driven concept, at the centre of which lies data collection from fleet usage and maintenance. This leads to analysis and data fusion to boost maintenance efficiency, improve predictability and produce alternative scenarios for decision-making purposes. It thus combines top-notch engineering expertise with efficient data use in a unique way manner the sustainment of military equipment. There is no comparable, comprehensive, manufacturer-independent and data-driven solution that can be deployed in all operating environments available from other market actors.

A key benefit is support for security of supply. Even during a crisis, the customer can count on Patria’s support. The concept includes a commitment to meeting promises even in exceptional circumstances. In addition to military crises, this commitment holds true in exceptional situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which pose their own challenges for day-to-day work.

With military equipment lifecycles typically measured in decades, fleets must undergo major upgrades, repairs and system/structural modifications in order to fulfil required capabilities, with new systems routinely integrated to enhance performance. Patria has extensive experience and expertise in these demanding activities – for vehicles, aircraft and marine vessels alike. OPTIME also covers management of fleet MRO supply chains, as required by the customer. Data analysis makes it possible to anticipate the future need for spare parts and to optimally plan deliveries and storage.

The concept of operations of high-performance assets also constitutes an essential component of effective system usage. Patria’s considerable experience in data collection from a range of fleets as part of mission support services can result in an exclusive offering for training services. For instance, in Finland, Patria is responsible for elementary and basic pilot training for the Air Force, Army and Border Guard, and provides training services for maintenance staff.

Such long-term partnerships also exist elsewhere within Patria’s extensive international footprint. At its engine repair workshop in Belgium, Patria is responsible for MRO of the F100 engines for F-16 and F-15 fighters worldwide, serving over 15 air forces. In Norway, Patria owns half of Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (KAMS), which serves as a strategic partner to the Norwegian armed forces in fighter and helicopter MRO services. Patria’s helicopter unit in Sweden has been a key player in helicopter maintenance since 1947, and the company has provided lifecycle services for Sweden’s XA infantry support vehicles over a considerable period, including fleet service life extension. In Estonia, Patria’s subsidiary Milworks maintains and repairs armoured vehicles for the Estonian Defence Forces.

Always tailored to the customer’s precise circumstances and requirements, a Patria OPTIME solution proposal is drafted based on the initial assessment, along with an estimate for its financial and operational impact. On the basis of the proposal, Patria drafts a more detailed solution description, in close cooperation with the customer. A more detailed collaborative process then ensures the functionality and effectiveness of the solution, in both the short and long term. Patria OPTIME thus ensures the performance of different kinds of equipment in all conditions over their entire lifecycle.

For a brief explanatory video of the OPTIME solution, click here.