Idaho to Host Qatari F-15 Training Under U.S. Control

Qatar’s F-15s to Train in Idaho Under U.S. Command at Mountain Home

Story Summary: No one really saw it coming, but it’s official the U.S. is letting Qatar’s Air Force train out of Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Before long, Qatari F-15s will be cutting across the same sky as American jets. Crazy? Maybe a little. But it makes sense.

The deal came together after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari Defense Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani signed off on it. Qatar’s paying for a full scale training center right on the base hangars, simulators, maintenance bays, classrooms, all of it. About a dozen F-15QAs and 300 Qatari personnel will be there for at least ten years, flying side by side with U.S. crews.

But no, this isn’t a “Qatar base” on U.S. soil. The Pentagon’s still running the show. Qatar’s folks are guests, not hosts. It’s more like they’re borrowing a room in America’s military house.

So why Idaho? Because it’s perfect for this. Mountain Home’s got endless airspace, wide open ranges, and pilots who already work with international partners Singapore’s been training there for years. The weather’s friendly to flight ops too, and that matters when you’re logging thousands of hours in jets that cost as much as small islands.

Speaking of jets the F-15QA “Ababil” isn’t just advanced, it’s next gen. It’s the most capable Eagle ever built, stuffed with digital systems, sensors, and high-tech warfare gear. These planes come straight out of a massive U.S.Qatar defense deal, and they’ve already flexed their wings at global exercises.

The idea didn’t happen overnight. Why did Washington say yes? It’s about connection, not convenience. Training together means smoother coordination in the field. Qatar already hosts America’s biggest Middle Eastern base, Al Udeid, so this move just brings.