Rolls-Royce advances military engine testing, propulsion tech with $1B facility expansion

Rolls-Royce has completed a $1 billion, decade-long investment in its manufacturing, assembly, and test facilities in Indiana, marking the largest investment the company has made in the United States. The modernization expanded advanced manufacturing across the company’s Indianapolis campus and added full engine-test capabilities, including new ground-test facilities and 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,” said Adam Riddle, President, Defense, and CEO, Rolls-Royce North America. “We made this investment because it was the right thing to do for U.S. national security and for the future of Rolls-Royce.” Rolls-Royce builds and tests military aircraft engines Rolls-Royce builds more of its defense products in Indianapolis than at any other location worldwide. The campus builds and tests engines for both defense and commercial platforms. These include future engines for the U.S. Air Force’s B-52 strategic bomber and the U.S. Army’s MV-75 Cheyenne, along with current engines for the V-22 Osprey, the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray, and the C-130J. “Rolls-Royce has called Indiana home for three decades, and this billion-dollar investment is a vote of confidence in Hoosier workers and our state,” Indiana Governor Mike Braun said. “Advanced manufacturing like this is exactly what keeps Indiana’s economy strong and growing.” The company employs approximately 3,500 people in Indianapolis, including a skilled UAW workforce, while supporting thousands of additional jobs through its Indiana supply chain. U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana said the investment demonstrates the importance of producing military technology domestically. “Rolls-Royce understands the importance of producing advanced military technologies here in the United States, and this billion-dollar investment shows that Indiana is leading the way in meeting the needs of our defense industrial base,” Young said. Indiana Senator Jim Banks also highlighted the Indianapolis operation’s role in military engine production. “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,” Banks said. Rolls-Royce expands U.S. investment Rolls-Royce has invested more than $1.5 billion in facilities and nearly $2.5 billion in research and development during the past decade across the United States. Its U.S. operations contributed $6.2 billion to the national economy in 2024 and, including research and development spillover, supported more than 30,000 jobs across 26 states. Rolls-Royce estimates that every dollar invested by the U.S. government in the company returns four dollars to the U.S. economy. The Indianapolis campus is also home to LibertyWorks, Rolls-Royce’s advanced-research organization. LibertyWorks has worked on high-temperature materials and propulsion for decades and is supported by a $75 million, 10-year alliance with Purdue University. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett called the completed investment “a testament to our skilled workforce, strong automotive legacy, and our city’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing.” “We are grateful Rolls-Royce continues to choose Indianapolis as a home for growth,” Hogsett said, “and we look forward to the opportunities this commitment will bring to our community.” Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Originally from LA, Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider, The Irish Examiner, The Rogue Mag, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and now Interesting Engineering.