US, August 15. For more than seven decades, US 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 US Air Force was established in 1947, Rolls-Royce aero-engines to power US 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 US 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 US 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 US 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 2016, we officially partnered with the US Air Force to open our first Public-Private Partnership together, establishing the Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City. This collaborative depot which combines Rolls-Royce management, engineering and logistics expertise with hands-on repair experience from the Air Force, will soon serve as the home base for F130 engine installation across the iconic B-52 Stratofortress fleet.
While our history unites us, it’s our future with the US 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!
