INDIANAPOLIS — Rolls-Royce has completed a decade-long, $1 billion modernization of its manufacturing, assembly and engine-test operations in Indiana. It is the company’s largest single investment in the United States and expands its capacity to support major U.S. military aviation programs.
About $600 million was spent modernizing manufacturing operations at the Indianapolis campus, with that work completed in 2021. Another $400 million funded new engine-testing infrastructure, including expanded test cells in Indianapolis and high-altitude, hybrid-electric and hypersonics testing capabilities at the Purdue Aerospace District in West Lafayette.
Company leaders and state officials marked the completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 27, 2026, at the Rolls-Royce Performance Building on South Tibbs Avenue in Indianapolis.
“This billion-dollar investment is about more than buildings and test cells — it is about delivering for the American warfighter, on time and at the standard our customers expect. We made this investment because it was the right thing to do for U.S. national security and for the future of Rolls-Royce,” said Adam Riddle, president of Defense and chief executive of Rolls-Royce North America.
Supporting U.S. Military Programs
The Indiana operations will support future engines for the U.S. Air Force’s B-52 strategic bomber and the U.S. Army’s MV-75 Cheyenne, also known as the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.
The Indianapolis site also builds and tests engines for the V-22 Osprey, MQ-25A Stingray and C-130J. Rolls-Royce has produced more than 14,000 engines at the campus since 2001, with roughly half from the AE engine family used on aircraft including the C-130J and V-22. The company also has a contract to supply 650 F130 engines for the B-52 fleet.
Rolls-Royce said Indianapolis produces more of its defense products than any other company site worldwide.
Jobs and Research
The Indianapolis operation employs about 3,500 people, including workers represented by the United Auto Workers, and supports thousands of additional supply-chain jobs in Indiana. About 80 percent of Rolls-Royce’s U.S. defense workforce is based in the state, while more than 700 Indianapolis employees are Purdue University graduates.
The company plans to hire about 100 additional engineers as work expands on the F130 and AE 1107 engines.
“The engines built in Indianapolis power the aircraft our warfighters depend on, and this investment strengthens the American defense industrial base at a moment when we need it most,” said Indiana Senator Jim Banks.
Rolls-Royce said it has invested more than $1.5 billion in U.S. facilities and nearly $2.5 billion in research and development over the past decade. Its U.S. operations contributed $6.2 billion to the national economy in 2024 and supported more than 30,000 jobs across 26 states, including research spillover. The company estimates that every dollar invested by the U.S. government in Rolls-Royce generates about $4 in economic returns.
The Indianapolis campus also houses LibertyWorks, Rolls-Royce’s advanced propulsion research organization. It is supported by a $75 million, 10-year alliance with Purdue University covering gas turbine technology, electrical and digital systems and related research, primarily at Purdue’s Zucrow Laboratories.
The modernization replaced aging infrastructure, including some facilities dating to World War II, with newer equipment and processes while production continued. The Indianapolis campus footprint was reduced from about 3 million square feet to 1.5 million square feet.
The expanded test facilities provide a wider range of engine-testing capabilities at lower cost and risk, including support for sustainable aviation fuels. Rolls-Royce said the completed investment positions its Indiana operations to support growth in existing programs and future contracts.
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