Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatar’s Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani signed the agreement in Washington.
• The facility will host a Qatari F-15 unit and train pilots to enhance joint training, strike capability, and interoperability.
• Officials describe the project as a facility within an existing U.S. base that stays under U.S. operational and security control and is financed by Qatar.
• The plan builds on Qatar’s 2017 purchase of 36 F-15QA jets and leverages Mountain Home’s established allied training environment and expansive airspace.
• The announcement drew domestic criticism and demands for transparency even as the Pentagon rejected claims of a foreign base, following a recent U.S. security proclamation regarding Qatar.