INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO) — Governor Mike Braun joined Rolls-Royce executives Thursday to celebrate a $1 billion investment in the company’s Indiana manufacturing and testing facilities.

The decade-long investment is the largest Rolls-Royce has made in the United States and is focused on modernizing its Indianapolis campus and expanding testing capabilities.

The project includes new ground test facilities in Indianapolis and an altitude test facility in West Lafayette.

State officials say the investment will strengthen Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and defense industries while supporting high-quality jobs.

Rolls-Royce employs about 3,500 people in Indianapolis, including a UAW workforce, and supports thousands of additional jobs through its Indiana supply chain.

More Rolls-Royce defense products are built in Indianapolis than anywhere else in the world.

The Indianapolis facility supports defense and commercial programs, including future engines for the U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber and the U.S. Army’s MV-75 Cheyenne, as well as engines currently used on the V-22 Osprey, the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray and the C-130J.

Indiana officials say defense companies have committed $2.5 billion in capital investments in the state since 2020, while defense contracts have increased by 24 percent during that time.

Braun called the Rolls-Royce investment a vote of confidence in Indiana workers and the state’s advanced manufacturing industry.