US Allows Construction of Qatari Air Force Facility at Domestic Military Base

The United States, which is strengthening its close ties with Qatar, has decided to allow the construction of a Qatari military training facility at an Air Force base on U.S. soil.

According to AFP and other sources on October 11 (local time), U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced after meeting with Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Qatar, that an agreement had been signed to build a training facility for Qatari Air Force F-15 pilots at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, is greeting Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Qatar (left), at the welcoming ceremony. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Secretary Hegseth stated, "This facility will host Qatari Air Force F-15 fighter jets and pilots, strengthening joint training and enhancing both lethality and interoperability."

The training facility is expected to include accommodations for Qatari Air Force pilots and hangars for F-15 fighter jets. It is reported that U.S.-made F-15 fighter jets purchased by Qatar will be stationed at this base. Under the agreement, all construction costs will be covered by Qatar, while a U.S. company will carry out the construction under the supervision of the U.S. military.

AFP also reported that Singaporean fighter pilots are currently training at Mountain Home Air Force Base.

This agreement has drawn criticism from the far-right MAGA (Make America Great Again) faction, which forms the support base of U.S. President Donald Trump. Laura Loomer, a prominent far-right MAGA influencer, reacted to the announcement of the Qatari training facility by declaring that she would not exercise her right to vote in next year's midterm elections. On X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, "The Republican Party has handed over a military base on U.S. soil to Qatari Muslims who fund terrorism. They have enabled them to kill Americans. I never thought I would see this. I don't think I can vote in 2026. I cannot, in good conscience, make any excuses for sheltering jihadists (Islamic extremists)."

Secretary Hegseth clarified on X, "To be clear, there will not be a Qatari-owned base or anything like that in the U.S. We manage the base. This is the same as what we do with other allied countries."

AFP also reported that Loomer's statements were "false claims," and added that the Qatari Air Force facility is not significantly different from similar facilities permitted for other allied countries.

Recently, President Trump has been strengthening close ties with Qatar. On September 29, he signed an executive order committing the United States to defend Qatar in the event of an external attack. He also faced criticism from both inside and outside his camp for accepting a Boeing 747 from Qatar as a gift to be used as Air Force One.