Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the U.S. will allow Qatar to construct an Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. This facility will host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots for training exercises alongside U.S. troops. Hegseth made the announcement during a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, at the Pentagon, stating, “The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability. It’s just another example of our partnership.”
Routine Agreement with Strategic Timing
The announcement of the deal comes shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order guaranteeing the security of Qatar—a significant commitment to a non-NATO, Arab ally. This action followed an Israeli bombing of Qatar several days earlier targeting Hamas officials living in Doha. However, U.S. officials clarified that the plan to build the Qatari facility has been in the works for several years, dating back to the previous administration. A U.S. official said this type of agreement is routine, noting the Air Force has executed similar deals for decades with partner nations such as Germany and Singapore. Hegseth later clarified on X, emphasizing there will be no Qatari owned base in the U.S., adding, “The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today’s announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft.”
Facility Details and Qatari Support
Hegseth praised Qatar for playing a “substantial role” in the peace talks that successfully led to a ceasefire and hostage swap deal between Israel and Hamas. He also acknowledged the Gulf country’s crucial support when the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites in June. Qatar is currently home to the largest U.S. military base in the region, Al-Udeid.
The facility in Idaho is specifically a “beddown”—military terminology for facilities designed for a training squadron’s operations, providing space for pilots to train, brief, and handle scheduling. The countries that send pilots provide the U.S. with funds through foreign military sales to cover the construction of the facilities, with the military hiring local community labor for the buildout. A 2022 environmental assessment for the Mountain Home Air Force Base, published during the previous administration, detailed the plan for the “beddown of 12 F-15QA permanently assigned QEAF aircraft” and associated equipment. The report projected the facility would host approximately 300 additional Qatari and U.S. Air Force personnel. Basing and operations were expected to begin in early Fiscal Year 2024 with an initial commitment of 10 years, renewable thereafter. Qatari Minister al Thani endorsed the plan, saying the step “strengthens interoperabilities, enhances joint readiness, and advances our shared defense goals.”
Despite the deep strategic roots of the plan, the announcement drew strong and immediate criticism from some of President Trump’s close allies. Far-right activist Laura Loomer posted more than a dozen times on X, calling the deal “outrageous,” “an abomination,” and a “betrayal,” publicly opposing the move to host a foreign military facility on U.S. soil.
Author’s Opinion
The U.S. decision to proceed with the Qatari training facility in Idaho, despite the political optics and heated backlash from certain presidential allies, demonstrates a clear prioritization of long-term strategic interoperability over short-term political expediency. While the emotional objections from critics are understandable, hosting an F-15 squadron on U.S. soil, paid for by the partner nation, is the most effective way to ensure a key regional ally remains combat-ready and fully aligned with U.S. military doctrine. This routine “beddown” agreement serves as tangible evidence of the deep, sustained defense relationship necessary to maintain stability in a volatile Middle East, confirming that the commitment to Qatar transcends partisan rhetoric.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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