The work modernized advanced manufacturing across the Indianapolis campus and added new ground-test facilities. Rolls-Royce also established an altitude test facility in West Lafayette.
“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.
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. The campus also builds and tests engines for the V-22 Osprey, U.S. Navy MQ-25A Stingray and C-130J.
Rolls-Royce said Indianapolis produces more of its defense products than any other company site worldwide. The operation employs about 3,500 people, including a workforce represented by the United Auto Workers, and supports thousands of additional supply-chain jobs in Indiana.
“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. Rolls-Royce is proving that we can manufacture the most advanced military technology in the world right here in Indiana,” said Indiana Senator Jim Banks.
Rolls-Royce has invested more than $1.5 billion in U.S. facilities and nearly $2.5 billion in research and development over the past decade. The company said its American operations contributed $6.2 billion to the national economy in 2024 and supported more than 30,000 jobs across 26 states when research spillover was included.
The company estimates that every dollar invested by the U.S. government in Rolls-Royce returns about four dollars to the American economy. The Indianapolis campus also houses LibertyWorks, an advanced propulsion research organization supported by a $75 million, 10-year alliance with Purdue University.
