Inside the Qatar US Air Force base project: Years of planning behind the politics
October 13, 2025
When US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stood beside Qatari Defence Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Pentagon on 10 October, announcing that Qatar would establish a facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, the move drew instant headlines.
Coming days after Israeli air strikes in Doha and amid a turbulent moment in Gulf politics, the timing seemed politically charged. But the evidence shows otherwise.
Official documents and Air Force assessments reveal that this project has been years in the making; the culmination of a quiet, bureaucratic process launched as far back as March 2022.
The Qatari base announcement is not a sudden gesture of solidarity or a response to regional instability. It is the execution of a plan that has already cleared environmental, legal, and strategic vetting, illustrating a long-term defence alignment between the United States and one of its closest non-NATO partners in the Middle East.
Qatar US Air Force base project deepens a decades-long defence partnership
The 10 October announcement marks the latest step in a partnership that has expanded steadily for more than two decades.
Qatar already hosts the Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest American military installation in the Middle East and the forward headquarters of US Central Command.
The new Idaho project effectively brings the cooperation full circle, embedding Qatari pilots and engineers alongside US Air Force personnel for training on American soil.
“This location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality and interoperability,” Hegseth said during the joint press conference. “It’s just another example of our partnership, and you can count on us.”
His Qatari counterpart, Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, described the agreement as “a step that strengthens interoperability, enhances joint readiness and advances our shared defence goals,” pledging continued collaboration “in pursuit of lasting peace and shared security.”
Inside the planning of the Qatar US Air Force base: how approvals began in 2022
The arrangement announced last week was first outlined in a 2022 Environmental Assessment (EA) by the US Air Force, accompanied by a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) — a legal clearance under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
That assessment evaluated potential effects on noise, air quality, wildlife, soil and local infrastructure as part of a plan to establish a US-led Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) F-15QA squadron at Mountain Home.
The proposal detailed the beddown of 12 Qatari F-15QA fighter jets, supported by approximately 300 Qatari and US personnel, and the construction or renovation of 23 buildings and 4.2 miles of roadways. It was designed to integrate with the existing 366th Fighter Wing, allowing pilots to share airspace and training ranges.
The review concluded that the impacts were “minor and short-term” and that “no Environmental Impact Statement” was required, effectively clearing the Air Force to proceed.
The findings also noted modest economic benefits to local communities in Elmore and Ada counties, including construction jobs and housing demand.
This long-running approval process shows that the foundation for the Qatar facility was laid under President Biden’s administration and survived the transition of political leadership, underscoring its strategic continuity.
Foreign training at US bases: Where the Qatar Air Force fits in
Although the idea of a foreign air force operating from a US base may appear unusual, similar joint training programmes have existed for decades.
The United States does not host foreign-owned military bases, but it does accommodate foreign detachments for training, interoperability, and technology transfer.
Among the best known is the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) programme at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, where pilots from 14 NATO nations train together under US oversight.
The United Kingdom maintains evaluation and testing units at Edwards Air Force Base, California, while the Netherlands and Norway operate F-35 training missions at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Singapore’s Peace Carvin V detachment has trained F-15SG pilots at Mountain Home since 2009, and Germany maintains a permanent administrative presence in Reston, Virginia, overseeing its military cooperation with the US and Canada.
Seen in this light, the Qatar detachment is consistent with existing US practice — a partnership programme hosted on American soil, under American command, for mutual operational benefit.
As Hegseth later clarified on social media, “There will be no Qatari-owned base in the United States.”
Important clarification:
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 10, 2025
The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today’s announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft. However, to be clear, Qatar will not have their own base in the United States—nor anything like a base. We control the existing base,…
Why the Qatar US Air Force base announcement isn’t about regional tensions
Still, the optics are unavoidable. The announcement came just weeks after Israeli strikes in Doha targeting Hamas-linked officials and shortly after former President Donald Trump signed an executive order committing the United States to guarantee Qatar’s security.
The timing fuelled speculation that Washington’s decision was a reaction to the regional situation. Yet defence officials insist that the Idaho plan is not reactive.
“This project has been in the works for several years,” a senior US Air Force official told CNN, describing it as “routine — something we’ve done for decades with partners such as Germany and Singapore.”
For Qatar, the decision comes as it continues to mediate between Israel and Hamas and host sensitive diplomatic engagements involving Iran, Afghanistan, and Sudan.
Washington has publicly credited Doha for helping broker ceasefires and hostage exchanges, and for its logistical support during US air operations against Iranian nuclear sites earlier this year.
In that context, the Idaho facility is less about crisis management and more about deepening interoperability with a small but strategically influential ally.
Strategic purpose of the Qatar US Air Force base: Training, doctrine, and interoperability
Hosting Qatari pilots in Idaho offers clear advantages for both countries. The F-15QA (Qatar Advanced), developed by Boeing for Qatar, is a highly advanced variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle, which is flown by the US Air Force.
Both aircraft share similar avionics, flight control systems, and weapons integration, making them ideal for joint tactical training and data-sharing exercises.
The arrangement enables shared doctrine development — pilots flying similar jets under identical operational conditions, building common tactics and improving joint readiness for coalition operations.
For Washington, it provides a way to extend influence and interoperability without expanding the American footprint overseas. For Doha, it ensures long-term access to US technical expertise and sustainment pipelines for its fleet.
A Pentagon source quoted in the Air Force’s 2022 documents said the aim was “to strengthen relations and ensure the combat readiness and enhanced performance of both partner nations in the event that multinational conflicts arise.”
Why the Qatar US Air Force base shows long-term US defence strategy
The broader significance of the Mountain Home agreement lies in what it says about US strategic continuity.
The plan has survived two presidencies, numerous regional crises, and domestic political shifts. Its careful approval process and phased rollout demonstrate that Washington views Qatar as a reliable long-term partner, not merely a convenient ally.
As Qatar’s Defence Minister Al Thani summarised, “Together we will continue to deepen this strategic partnership in pursuit of lasting peace and shared security.”
For all the debate the announcement has stirred in Washington, the record shows that the Qatari presence at Mountain Home Air Force Base is an evolution, not a reaction — a project grounded in years of planning, technical cooperation, and mutual interest.
