Flying together for 75 years

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Rolls-Royce announced Half Year results on Thursday 1 August 2024.

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Flying together for 75 years

For more than seven decades, U.S. Air Force pilots have taken to the skies, and Rolls-Royce North America has proudly supplied thousands of engines to keep them aloft. From the early V-1710 engines powering P-51 Mustangs, to the current fleets of C-130J, CV-22 and Global Hawk aircraft, as well as the future B-52 powered by Rolls-Royce engines, our facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana, have kept those aircraft soaring.

Even before the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947, Rolls-Royce aero-engines to power U.S. Military aircraft were manufactured at Allison Engine Company factories in Indianapolis, which still continue to support Rolls-Royce’s contributions to the Air Force. These factory locations originally produced the power plants for the iconic fighter aircraft of WWII: the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, P-39 Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk and others.

These were some of the most powerful and advanced engines of their time.

Following WWII, these Indianapolis factories began producing innovative and powerful jet engines for the first U.S. Air Force jet fighter, the F-80 Shooting Star. By the mid-1950’s, the mighty T56 gas turbine engines were powering the new C-130 transport planes for the U.S. Air Force. The T56 engine line proved to be one of the longest running engine types in history, and these engines are still being produced at Rolls-Royce Indianapolis.

Today – after over $1 billion of investment into the advancement of these facilities – we provide the U.S. Air Force with powerful and efficient AE engines and turboprop, turboshaft, and turbofan variants. The AE 1107C powers the CV-22, the AE 2100 powers the C-130J and the AE 3007H powers the Global Hawk

In 2021, Rolls-Royce was awarded an Air Force contract to re-engine the iconic B-52 fleet. Work is under way, and we are executing on schedule and will deliver F130 engines from our Indianapolis factories to keep the fleet flying for decades to come.

While our history unites us, it’s our future with the U.S. Air Force that inspires and encourages American Rolls-Royce employees day in and day out. It’s why we continue to push industry limits, persistently advancing technologies in hypersonics, directed energy, micro-reactors, and sustainable propulsion solutions.

So from Rolls-Royce to the United States Air Force, sincerely, congratulations for 75 years of aerospace innovation.

We are happy to continue the ride into
the wild blue yonder!

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