Qatar plans to build its own air force facility at the U.S. Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The base will train Qatari F-15 fighter pilots and will also house Qatari aircraft.
Points of attention
- Qatar's construction of a military facility at a US Air Force base signifies a strengthening bond between Qatar and the United States.
- This unique precedent reflects the deepening defense partnership between the two countries.
- The move highlights the strategic importance of Qatar to the US, especially given the presence of the Al-Udeid Air Base.
Qatar to build its own military facility in the US
The United States and Qatar jointly announced plans to build an air base in Mountain Home on October 10. It signals a significant deepening of relations between the countries after the White House provided unprecedented security guarantees to Qatar.
It is noted that this will not be a military base. The Qatari facility will be located on the territory of a US Air Force base and under American jurisdiction, a source told the publication.
Discussions were held during the administration of the 46th US President, Joseph Biden. And during the first term of US President Donald Trump, in 2017, Qatar ordered 36 modern F-15 fighter jets worth $12 billion.
However, Qatar's ability to conduct training is extremely limited due to the country's small size and the nature of the terrain.
The interesting point is that Qatar will build the facility from scratch. No American ally has had such a right up to this point. However, Qatar's media attaché to the United States, Ali Al-Ansari, explained to the publication that it will not be a Qatari air force air base in the usual sense.
Qatar has made a 10-year commitment to build and maintain a specialized facility at a U.S. air base designed to enhance skills and enhance interoperability... This represents a continued expression of the strong defense partnership between Qatar and the United States.
It should be noted that in early October, Trump signed an executive order on security guarantees for Qatar. He promised diplomatic, economic, and military support to the ally — and this came after the recent Israeli airstrike on Doha.
Trump's order effectively equates Qatar's security with that of the United States, which could significantly alter the balance of power in the Middle East. Qatar is of great importance to the US Air Force, home to Al-Udeid Air Base, a forward operating base for US Central Command.
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