Donald Trump Says Wisconsin To Get More F-35 Fighter Jet Work

MILWAUKEE, WI — More work is coming to Wisconsin in the coming months after President Donald Trump announced Friday that a local company will provide more parts manufacturing for the F-35 Lightning fighter Jet.

During his visit to Milwaukee, Trump announced that Derco, a Lockheed Martin company with manufacturing in Wisconsin, will provide parts warehousing and distribution for the F-35 Lightning II, a fighter jet that is currently deployed by the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and allies around the world. He made the announcement Friday at Derco's Milwaukee aerospace campus, 8000 W. Tower Ave. in Milwaukee.

"From here in Milwaukee, you are supporting magnificent aircraft, and soon you'll support the unstoppable, stealth F-35 Lightning II," Trump said in a news release from Derco."I am thrilled to be back in the great state of Wisconsin with the extraordinary men and women of Derco. We are here today to celebrate the triumphant return of American manufacturing, and everything we are doing to keep the assembly lines rolling."

Company officials said Derco initially will support the management and delivery of 1,500 different F-35 parts to locations around the globe, saying the increased work will create more skilled jobs for repair technicians, operations personnel and supply chain management experts.

Officials with Derco said the company is, as a result of Friday's announcement, looking to expand their manufacturing campus while also looking to add to its 1,200 suppliers to develop repair capabilities for the F-35 in Milwaukee. Currently, the F-35 provides $1.2 million in economic impact across the supply chain in Wisconsin, officials said.