Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani signed a letter of acceptance authorizing construction at the Pentagon.
• The facility will host a Qatari contingent of F-15s and pilots for joint training to improve interoperability at a base that already trains Singapore’s F-15SG unit.
• Hegseth later clarified that Qatar is not receiving its own base in the United States and that the U.S. will retain command of the installation.
• Planning has been underway for years, with a 2022 Air Force assessment envisioning 12 F-15QA aircraft, roughly 300 personnel, and an initial 10-year timeline for a training ‘beddown.’
• The announcement follows President Trump’s recent security guarantee to Qatar and has prompted both praise from Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson and criticism from activist Laura Loomer.