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Defense Department: Mountain Home Air Force Base to host Qatari pilots, training facilities

Mountain Home Air Force Base website
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The U.S. Air Force will host Qatari F-15 pilots at a new facility in Mountain Home, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Friday.

The announcement was made at a press conference at the Pentagon with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Hegseth said the partnership would enhance “combined training, increase lethality and interoperability.”

No other details were made available. Mountain Home Air Force Base already provides training support to Singaporean fighter pilots.

The Pentagon did not answer specific questions sent by Boise State Public Radio, but in an email wrote the deal ”will enable the construction and operational integration of an enduring location for Qatari F-15 aircraft” and “was executed via foreign military sales.”

The new facility will provide the Middle Eastern country with “strategic flexibility to operate and sustain their advanced fighter aircraft.”

“It will enable combined training opportunities between Qatar and the United States, fostering stronger defense partnerships and enhancing joint operational capabilities. This effort will increase the lethality of our warfighters and improve interoperability among allied and partner nations,” the statement read.

A screenshot of Congressman Mike Simpson’s X post following the announcement
Mike Simpson X account
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A screenshot of Congressman Mike Simpson’s X post following the announcement

The news drew criticism from across the political spectrum.

Sen. Brian Lenney (R-Nampa)called the news absurd and insulting.

“We don’t need Qatar’s imported workforce operating military facilities on American soil,” he wrote in a Substack post.

In a statement, Democratic candidate for governor Terri Pickens also questioned the partnership. “Letting outsiders use our military infrastructure poses serious security and intelligence risks,” she wrote.

In a post on X Congressman Mike Simpson called the deal “fantastic news.” The overwhelming majority of comments were harshly skeptical of the partnership.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry, the U.S. Air Force and the Office of Gov. Brad Little did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

Al Udeid Air Base, near Doha in Qatar, hosts U.S. Air Forces and serves as the main American military hub in the region.

I joined Boise State Public Radio in 2022 as the Canyon County reporter through Report for America, to report on the growing Latino community in Idaho. I am very invested in listening to people’s different perspectives and I am very grateful to those who are willing to share their stories with me. It’s a privilege and I do not take it for granted.

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