Rolls-Royce Holdings Company Profile, Products, Employees and Revenue
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British engineering group that designs and supports aircraft engines, submarine nuclear reactors, naval gas turbines and power systems, with its main industrial base in Derby, England. It employed 42,600 people on a monthly average in 2025 and reported underlying revenue of £20.1 billion.
The group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and reports three divisions: Civil Aerospace, Defence and Power Systems. Defence contributed £4.8 billion of 2025 underlying revenue and employed 12,800 people, according to the company’s 2025 annual report. This profile covers what Rolls-Royce does, its defence programmes, headcount, financial results and history.
What Does Rolls-Royce Holdings Do?
Rolls-Royce describes itself as a developer and supplier of complex power and propulsion systems for safety-critical uses across air, sea and land. Its aero engines power airliners, business jets, transport aircraft and combat aircraft, and its Defence division also supplies naval engines and the nuclear propulsion plant for Royal Navy submarines.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registered office | Kings Place, 90 York Way, London (main industrial base in Derby) |
| Incorporated | 1906 as Rolls-Royce Limited; current holding company formed 2011 |
| Employees | 42,600 monthly average in 47 countries (2025) |
| Underlying revenue | £20.1bn (2025); £11.3bn (H1 2026) |
| Underlying operating profit | £3.5bn (2025); £2.5bn (H1 2026) |
| Chief executive | Tufan Erginbilgic (since January 2023) |
| Divisions | Civil Aerospace, Defence, Power Systems |
| Listing | London Stock Exchange, FTSE 100 |
What Are Rolls-Royce’s Main Business Divisions?
| Division | Underlying revenue | Operating profit | Employees | Known products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Aerospace | £10.4bn | £2,130m (20.5%) | 19,400 | Trent engines, business aviation and regional engines |
| Defence | £4.8bn | £689m (14.4%) | 12,800 | EJ200, AE 2100, Pegasus, submarine reactors, MT30 |
| Power Systems | £4.9bn | £852m (17.4%) | 10,000 | Power generation and governmental engines |
What Does Rolls-Royce Make for Defence?
Defence revenue in 2025 split into transport (31%), combat (30%), submarines (28%), naval (7%) and helicopters (4%), the company reported. The programmes below are the best known.
| Programme | What it is | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Submarine reactors | PWR nuclear plant for Royal Navy boats | Made at Raynesway, Derby, for Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS; site licensed 1960 (Wikipedia) |
| AE 2100 | Turboprop for military transport | Powers the C-130J Super Hercules; more than 2,300 built (Wikipedia) |
| Pegasus | Vectored-thrust turbofan | Powered the Harrier family; 23,800 lbf in the 11-61 variant; over 1,200 built by 2008 |
| LiftSystem | Lift fan and swivel nozzle for the F-35B | Lift fan of more than 20,000 lbf cold thrust; about 41,900 lbf total in lift mode |
| EJ200 | Engine for the Eurofighter Typhoon | Orders from partner nations and Türkiye for 20 aircraft (2025) |
| GCAP engine | Power and propulsion for the future fighter | UK Defence Investment Plan pledges £8.6bn to GCAP to 2030 |
Rolls-Royce Submarines, established in 1954 as Rolls-Royce and Associates, is a wholly owned subsidiary that designs, supplies and supports the nuclear propulsion plant for all Royal Navy nuclear submarines, the annual report says. The Raynesway site is being expanded to support SSN-AUKUS, with 1,170 jobs planned, according to Wikipedia, and the annual report says a fissile construction partner has been named for the Derby expansion. The company also sold its naval propulsors business to Fairbanks Morse Defense in July 2025.
How Many Employees Does Rolls-Royce Have?
Rolls-Royce reported 42,600 employees on a monthly average in 2025, across 47 countries. By location that was 22,100 in the UK, 9,900 in Germany, 6,000 in the US and Canada, 1,000 in Italy, 700 each in Singapore and India, and 2,200 elsewhere. Wikipedia gives a rounded figure of 50,000 for 2025, which is higher than the company’s own count. Wikipedia also says about 15,700 people work in Derby.
Rolls-Royce Revenue and Financial Results
| Measure | FY2025 | H1 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying revenue | £20,059m | £11,279m (H1 2025: £9,057m) |
| Underlying operating profit | £3,462m (17.3% margin) | £2,534m (22.5% margin) |
| Free cash flow | £3,270m | £1,964m |
| Net cash | £1,895m | £2,136m |
| Dividend | 9.5p total | 6.0p interim |
| Defence operating margin | 14.4% | 21.0% (H1 2025: 15.4%) |
At the half year the company raised 2026 guidance to underlying operating profit of £4.7 billion to £4.9 billion and free cash flow of £3.8 billion to £4.0 billion. It had guided £4.0 billion to £4.2 billion for operating profit in February. It is running a £2.5 billion buyback in 2026, with £1.4 billion completed, inside a £7 billion to £9 billion programme for 2026 to 2028.
Rolls-Royce History Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1904 | Charles Rolls and Henry Royce form their partnership |
| 1906 | Rolls-Royce Limited incorporated |
| 1954 | Rolls-Royce and Associates set up for naval nuclear propulsion |
| 1960 | Pegasus makes its first free hover; Derby reactor manufacturing site licensed |
| 1971 | Company enters liquidation and the government acquires its assets |
| 1987 | Returned to the stock market under privatisation |
| 2001 | Lift-fan aircraft X-35B completes short take-off, supersonic dash and vertical landing |
| 2011 | Rolls-Royce Holdings plc formed |
| 2023 | Tufan Erginbilgic becomes chief executive |
| 2025 | Naval propulsors business sold to Fairbanks Morse Defense |
Recent Contracts and Developments
Rolls-Royce announced a £300 million UK investment across five sites, including more than £90 million at its Bristol defence hub, which works on the EJ200, the MT30 marine gas turbine and GCAP engine development. GCAP itself is explained in our guide to the Global Combat Air Programme, and BAE Systems, a GCAP industrial partner through the Edgewing joint venture, is covered in its company profile.
The LiftSystem is fitted to the F-35B variant described in our F-35 specs and operators guide. For comparison on the US side of nuclear submarine building, see the HII company profile. In the first half of 2026 the U.S. Navy MQ-25A Stingray, which uses Rolls-Royce AE 3007N engines, completed its first autonomous flight, and Germany contracted Rolls-Royce to design a scalable core engine for a medium collaborative combat aircraft.
Rolls-Royce FAQ
Where is Rolls-Royce Holdings headquartered?
The registered office is Kings Place, London, while its main industrial base is in Derby.
How many employees does Rolls-Royce have?
42,600 on a monthly average in 2025, of whom 22,100 were in the UK.
What is Rolls-Royce’s annual revenue?
Underlying revenue was £20.1 billion in 2025 and £11.3 billion in the first half of 2026.
Who is the CEO of Rolls-Royce?
Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive since January 2023.
Does Rolls-Royce build submarine reactors?
Yes. Rolls-Royce Submarines designs and makes the nuclear propulsion plant for Royal Navy submarines at Derby.
What engine powers the F-35B?
The Pratt & Whitney F135 with the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem, which provides the lift fan and swivel nozzle.
What is Rolls-Royce’s role in GCAP?
It is developing power and propulsion for the fighter, with the UK pledging £8.6 billion to the programme through 2030.
Is Rolls-Royce Holdings related to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?
No. This profile covers the engineering group; the car business is a separate company.
- Rolls-Royce – 2025 annual report: rolls-royce.com
- Rolls-Royce – 2025 full year results: rolls-royce.com
- Rolls-Royce – 2026 half year results: rolls-royce.com
- Wikipedia – Rolls-Royce Holdings, Rolls-Royce Submarines, LiftSystem, Pegasus, AE 2100
[…] On carriers, HII reached preliminary acceptance of the Ford-class USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) on 29 September 2026, and it holds a $5.1 billion refuelling overhaul of USS Harry S. Truman. Nuclear propulsion in the UK is covered in our Rolls-Royce profile. […]