Qatar is set to open a new air force training facility in the United States, the Pentagon confirmed on Friday, marking a deepening of military cooperation between the two nations.
The base will be located at Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho and is intended to train Qatari pilots on F-15 fighter jets, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Speaking at the Pentagon with Qatari counterpart Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Hegseth called the initiative "just another example of our partnership" and highlighted Qatar’s "substantial role" in President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire and secure the release of hostages.
Qatar, along with Egypt and Turkey, has been actively mediating months of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas.
Hegseth added, "I'm proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force Facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."
He continued, "The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality, interoperability, it's just another example of our partnership. You can count on us."
Details about the number of F-15 jets and the base’s operational timeline remain undisclosed. Last month, President Trump signed an executive order pledging full support, including military intervention if necessary, to protect Qatar.
The agreement represents a rare security commitment, with features that resemble those of NATO alliances.
The development follows Israeli airstrikes on 9 September that killed several lower-level Hamas members and a Qatari security officer in Doha. Qatar is also home to al-Udeid, the largest US military base in the Middle East and the headquarters for American air operations in the region. The base was recently targeted by Iran after US attacks on its nuclear sites.