Pentagon to Host Qatar Emiri Air Force Training at Mountain Home AFB

The Pentagon on Friday agreed to host a Qatar Emiri Air Force training facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in southwestern Idaho, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced, saying the site will host Qatari F-15 fighters and their pilots for joint training with U.S. forces. Hegseth signed a letter of acceptance during a Pentagon meeting with Qatari Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and described the project as an extension of the bilateral defense partnership.

Officials said the facility is intended to enhance combined training, increase interoperability and improve operational readiness between the two air forces. Mountain Home, in Elmore County, already hosts Singapore Air Force F-15SG jets, and Pentagon officials noted that while no foreign militaries have sovereign bases on U.S. soil, some maintain a presence at U.S. installations for training purposes.

The plan dates back several years, following a 2017 U.S. arms agreement that included F-15 aircraft and associated training and support for Qatar. In 2022, U.S. authorities identified Mountain Home as a likely site to accommodate roughly 300 personnel associated with the program, including Qatari...