Rolls-Royce announces $1 billion investment in Indiana defense manufacturing

Rolls-Royce has launched a $1 billion, decade-long investment in its Indiana manufacturing, assembly, and testing facilities. The initiative, which represents the company’s largest investment in the United States, aims to modernize advanced manufacturing and expand engine-testing capabilities.

Of the total investment, $600 million was utilized to modernize manufacturing sites, a phase completed in 2021. The remaining $400 million is being directed toward adding full-engine test capabilities, including new ground test facilities in Indianapolis and an altitude test facility in West Lafayette. These new test cells allow engineers to conduct a wider range of tests on engines, such as the F-130 for the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, with lower cost and risk.

The Indianapolis campus currently employs more than 3,500 people, with 80% of the company’s U.S. defense workforce residing and working in Indiana. The investment supports the production of critical defense technology, including the AE 1107 engine intended for the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne tilt-rotor aircraft.