INDIANAPOLIS — The U.S. Air Force has selected Rolls-Royce North America for its B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, an announcement the company says will bring 150 new jobs to Indianapolis.
The F130 engines will be assembled and tested at company facilities and will power the B-52s for the next 30 years.
A variant of the engine, which will power the B-52 is already used to power two other Air Force aircraft and multiple other engines in the Air Force fleet, is designed and manufactured in Indianapolis.
The contract provides for 608 commercial engines plus spare engines, associated support equipment, and commercial engineering data.
“This is a major win for Rolls-Royce. We’ve been planning and preparing for this outcome and are ready to hit the ground running to prove that we are the best choice for the Air Force and the B-52. Our employees stand prepared to deliver once again for the men and women who protect our freedoms every day.," Craig McVay, SVP Strategic Campaigns for Rolls-Royce Defense said in a news release.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett released the following statement:
Congratulations to Rolls-Royce on [Friday’s] incredible news. The B-52 engine contract will add 150 high-tech, high-skilled jobs to our community, which will bring even more investment and activity to our local economy. This announcement builds on our longstanding tradition of aerospace innovation, powered by the workers and families of the UAW Local 933, and ensures that Rolls-Royce and Indianapolis will continue to lead for decades to come. Where I come from, this is known a “win, win, win.”
