Qatari facility to be built in Idaho, Defense Secretary Hegseth says

"Today, we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatar Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, he told reporters at the Pentagon. The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality. interoperability. Hegseth added that it's just another example of our partnership, while seated next to the Qatari Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani."

"Pilots from the Qatar Emiri Air Force, and their F-15s, will join a base that already houses members of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, who have trained and lived in the quiet town outside of Boise since 2009. The possibility of Friday's move was announced years ago, and in 2022 the Air Force honed in on Mountain Home as the location to house 300 personnel, including a 170 Qatari trainees and 130 U.S. Air Force active duty personnel and contractors, the Idaho Statesman reported."

Construction of a Qatar Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base will host Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance combined training, lethality, and interoperability with U.S. forces. The move coincided with a news conference tied to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and noted Qatar's substantial role in that agreement. The base already hosts members of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, present since 2009. A 2022 plan identified Mountain Home to house roughly 300 personnel — about 170 Qatari trainees and 130 U.S. active-duty personnel and contractors — though current specifics remain unclear. Requests for additional details were directed to Mountain Home, the governor’s office, and the White House. Lawmakers characterized the development as beneficial for training, alliance partnerships, and national security.

Read at www.idahostatesman.com