The US House of Representatives voted to provide $560 million in funding for the development of the GE Rolls-Royce F136 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as an alternative to a sole-source engine. The F136 engine supports over 2,500 jobs and is on budget and on schedule. Rolls-Royce applauded the vote that maintains competition on the program and avoids a $100 billion engine monopoly for the largest fighter program.

1. July 31, 2009
ROLLS-ROYCE APPLAUDS US HOUSE VOTE
FAVORING COMPETITION ON JSF ENGINE PROGRAM
Indianapolis, IN – Rolls-Royce applauds the vote of the US House of
Representatives today to continue support for the competitive engine program for
the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The House voted 400 to 30 to include $560
million in FY2010 funding to develop and produce the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter
Engine Team’s F136 engine.
Today’s vote reaffirms the benefits of competition for the JSF engine program,
the world’s largest ever fighter program, and avoids handing a $100 billion
engine monopoly to a sole source provider without going through a competitive
selection process.
The F136 engine, being developed in a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and
GE, supports hundreds of jobs at the Rolls-Royce manufacturing facility in
Indianapolis. Nationwide, F136 jobs at Rolls-Royce, GE and their suppliers total
more than 2,500. Now roughly 70 percent complete, the first production F136
engines are scheduled to be delivered in 2012.
The GE Rolls-Royce F136 engine is on budget, and has been consistently on
budget for years. Furthermore, the F136 engine’s solid history of executing its
contract on schedule and within budget has led to consistent top program
reviews from the Joint Program Office managing the F-35 program.
“The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team should have the chance to
demonstrate the benefits of competition,” said James M. Guyette, President &
CEO, Rolls-Royce North America Inc. “This competition will benefit military
customers in the US and around the world for decades to come.”
The first complete new-build F136 engine began testing earlier this year – a
month ahead of schedule – under the System Development and Demonstration
(SDD) contract with the US Government Joint Program Office for the F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter program.
Today’s vote also maintains the House’s 14 year record of unwavering support
for this program as well as recently enacted defense acquisition reform which
encourages competitive contracts in US defense programs.
Notes to Editors:

2. 1. The F136 engine is the most advanced fighter aircraft engine ever
developed and will be available to power all variants of the F-35 Lightning
II aircraft for the US military and eight partner nations.
2. The F136 engine is a product of the best technology from two world-
leading propulsion companies. The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team
has designed the only engine specifically developed for the F-35 aircraft,
offering a larger core, extra temperature margin and affordable growth.
3. Rolls-Royce is a global business providing and supplying integrated
powers systems for use on land, at sea and in the air. The company has
established strong positions in four global markets -- civil aerospace,
defense aerospace, marine and energy.
4. Rolls-Royce employs some 38,000 skilled people in 50 countries around
the world, and Rolls-Royce businesses are headquartered in the UK, US
and Singapore.
5. A significant and growing business in North America, Rolls-Royce
employs nearly 8,000 people at more than 66 US locations in 26 states
and seven sites in six Canadian provinces.
Contact:
Mia K. Walton George McLaren
Senior Vice President, Communications Director
Corporate Communications GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team
Rolls-Royce North America Tel: (317) 230-8260
Tel: (703) 621-2709 Mobile: (317) 366-9624
e-mail: mia.walton@rolls-royce.com web site: www.fighterengineteam.com
web site: www.rolls-royce.com