Pentagon, Qatar sign deal for Qatari F‑15 training facility at Idaho’s Mountain Home AFB
The Pentagon and Qatar have signed a letter of acceptance for a Qatari Emiri Air Force training facility to be built at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, where a contingent of Qatari F‑15s and pilots will train alongside U.S. forces to boost lethality and interoperability. The site will sit within and remain under U.S. jurisdiction — not a foreign base — with Qatar funding construction (an Air Force study suggested housing about 12 F‑15s and roughly 300 combined personnel); the deal, rooted in earlier talks and tied to broader U.S.–Qatar security cooperation, prompted some political pushback and Pentagon clarifications.
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📌 Key Facts
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced at the Pentagon, alongside Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, that the U.S. and Qatar are signing a letter of acceptance for Qatar to build an Emiri Air Force training facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
- The facility will be built within Mountain Home AFB and remain under U.S. jurisdiction; Hegseth and Pentagon officials emphasized Qatar will not have its own sovereign base and that the U.S. controls the existing base and access for partners.
- Qatar will construct and pay for a new, ground‑up facility that will host a contingent of Qatari F‑15s and pilots for combined training to increase "lethality and interoperability;" U.S. Air Force officials said the site would include hangars for F‑15QA aircraft procured via Foreign Military Sales.
- An Air Force environmental study envisioned roughly 12 Qatari F‑15s and about 300 combined Qatari and U.S. personnel at Mountain Home, reflecting the training need tied to Qatar’s earlier F‑15 purchases (including a 2017 ~$12 billion order for 36 F‑15s).
- The choice of Mountain Home reflects practical constraints — Qatar’s limited airspace and flat terrain — and fits a pattern of foreign air forces training in the U.S.; Mountain Home already hosts Singapore’s F‑15s.
- Discussions on the facility date back to the Biden administration; the public announcement was delayed previously and negotiations with contractors are reportedly still being finalized.
- Coverage placed the announcement in the context of recent actions by President Trump (including a Sept. 29 executive order pledging U.S. defense of Qatar and acceptance of a Qatar‑donated Boeing 747‑8 intended for Air Force One), which reporters cited as relevant background.
- The plan prompted criticism from right‑wing commentators and some editorial voices who framed the arrangement as controversial (including allegations about Qatar’s ties to Hamas), prompting public clarifications from Pentagon officials; some former officials also warned deeper U.S.–Qatar ties could complicate relations with other Gulf partners such as the UAE.
📰 Sources (5)
Qatar Facility at U.S. Air Force Base in Idaho Sparks Controversy
New information:
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a same-day clarification that Qatar 'will not have their own base' in the U.S. and that the U.S. controls the existing base and access for all partners.
- Backlash from prominent Trump-aligned commentators (e.g., Laura Loomer, Amy Malek) framed the arrangement as 'training the funders of Hamas,' prompting the clarification.
- U.S. Air Force officials specified the facility would include hangars for Qatar’s F‑15QA aircraft procured via Foreign Military Sales.
- Context noted that Trump recently praised Qatar as a 'steadfast ally' in a Sept. 29 executive order and accepted a Qatar-donated $400 million aircraft slated to serve as Air Force One after modifications.
- Former officials quoted raised concern that deepening U.S.–Qatar ties could complicate relations with the UAE, a key Gulf partner.
Pentagon will build a training facility for Qatari pilots in Idaho
New information:
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly confirmed the Pentagon is moving forward with the Idaho training facility and described its purpose ('increase the lethality, interoperability').
- A U.S. defense official said Qatar will pay for the construction of the facility.
- Background detail: an Air Force environmental study proposed housing 12 Qatari F-15s and about 300 combined Qatari and U.S. personnel at Mountain Home AFB.
- Context: The announcement follows President Trump’s executive order pledging U.S. defense of Qatar.
- Reaction: Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer and the Wall Street Journal editorial board criticized the move/pledge.
Qatar to build air force facility on U.S. base in Idaho
New information:
- Axios clarifies the facility will sit within a U.S. base and remain under U.S. jurisdiction — not a foreign 'base' on U.S. soil.
- Talks date back to the Biden administration; announcement timing was delayed earlier and negotiations with contractors are still being finalized.
- Qatar will construct a new facility from the ground up at Mountain Home, which is unusual for foreign allies training in the U.S.
- Context for need: Qatar’s limited airspace and flat terrain drive the choice to train pilots in varied U.S. conditions.
- Details that Mountain Home already hosts Singapore’s F-15s and that many countries train in the U.S.
- Adds the 2017 $12 billion order for 36 F-15s as background for the training requirement.
Hegseth announces Qatar will build air force facility at U.S. base in Idaho
New information:
- Hegseth announced the deal alongside Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Pentagon.
- He said they are signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home AFB.
- The site will host a contingent of Qatari F‑15s and pilots for combined training to boost lethality and interoperability.
- CBS notes there are no foreign military bases in the U.S., but some foreign forces train here; Singapore’s air force also trains at Mountain Home.
- Contextual link: references Trump’s recent executive order assuring Qatar’s security and his acceptance of a Qatar‑provided Boeing 747‑8 to be used as Air Force One.