Rolls-Royce Continues Maintenance, Repair Work for Typhoon EJ200 Engines

The U.K. Ministry of Defense’s (MOD) Defense Equipment and Support (DE&S) division granted Rolls-Royce a five-year maintenance, service, and support contract for the EJ200 aero engine that powers the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon combat aircraft fleet: The Typhoon Engine Support Solution (TESS) allows Rolls-Royce to prolong maintenance and repair operations on 130 EJ200 engines.

“Not only will this contract help to maintain our jets, but it also delivers on our Plan for Change by securing around 200 jobs in the United Kingdom and boosting the skills base that our defense industry relies upon,” said John Healey MP, U.K. Defense Secretary. “Together with our upgrade program, this contract will ensure our Typhoon fleet remains the backbone of U.K. air defense for the next decade.”

The MOD’s TESS award will be executed at Rolls-Royce’s U.K. Defense headquarters in Bristol, which leads the research, development, and manufacture of the United Kingdom’s next-generation military power and propulsion technologies. TESS will also establish critical skills for the Royal Air Force, allowing it to deliver rapid air capabilities and fulfill future initiatives, such as the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP).

Maintenance on EJ200 engine; image credit: Rolls-Royce

“This contract builds on more than a century of Rolls-Royce partnership and trust with the MOD,” said Adam Riddle, President of Defense, Rolls-Royce. “The TESS represents a continuation of our support of the EJ200 engine and we’re glad for the ongoing confidence in our team and capabilities. This investment enables us and our supply chain to ensure the Royal Air Force can execute their missions effectively, wherever and whenever they’re needed, in an increasingly complex global environment.”

Additionally, the TESS contract will strengthen the United Kingdom’s supply chain by creating approximately 2,400 jobs focused on the nation’s combat-air expertise. It also bolsters the GCAP combat program, in which 80% of the developed technologies may be applied to civilian sectors. DE&S’s defense-based investment will deliver dual-use capabilities to drive national competitiveness across industries.

“We are pleased to award this long-term contract to Rolls-Royce for the continued maintenance and repair of Typhoon EJ200 engines,” said Lyndon Hoyle, Typhoon Delivery Team Head, DE&S. “This contract not only ensures the continued availability of the Typhoon fleet, but it helps drives growth and prosperity within U.K. Defense, reinforcing our dedication to procuring capability that equips our armed forces with competitive edge now and in the future.”

Rolls-Royce EJ200

In early January 2025, EUROJET Turbo GmbH entered an agreement with the NATO Eurofighter & Tornado Management Agency to manufacture and deliver 59 EJ200 engines for the Spanish Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet. The EJ200 engine is a product of Rolls-Royce, MTU Aero Engines, ITP Aero, and Avio Aero, with Rolls-Royce handling the engine module production and assembly performed at the ITP Aero Facility in Ajalvir. These engines are scheduled for delivery starting in 2029 and will accelerate Spain’s Halcón acquisition project which intends to modernize its Air Force with 25 advanced aircrafts.

It maintains a high-performance record, multi-role capability, and high availability at manageable life-cycle costs, enabling the EJ200 to meet modern and anticipated Air Force requirements. Since 2003, over 1,400 EJ200 production engines have been delivered to Air Force customer fleets across nine nations, and the EJ200 engine has recorded more than 1.5 million flying hours.