Construction is scheduled to start later this year on the facility which will provide space for research, manufacturing and assembly for new product development for the future of air combat.

Paul Pennington, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure, Defence, Rolls-Royce, said: “This complex facility is a physical manifestation of our commitment to novel technology and agile ways of working.

“By embedding our previous learnings, we are creating a space for state-of-the-art technology development, to ensure we meet our ambitious customer commitments while future-proofing our capabilities for decades to come.”

Dougie McCusker, Construction Director at McLaughlin & Harvey, added: “We have a longstanding partnership with Rolls-Royce and have completed two advanced manufacturing projects for them.

“Our Midlands and South West team will draw on this past experience and broader expertise in complex manufacturing environments to support the client in building a state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly facility in Bristol.”