MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — A major announcement from Washington over the weekend revealed plans for a foreign air force facility right here in Idaho – but Air Force records show those plans have been in motion for years.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the United States is signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
According to Air Force environmental documents obtained by Idaho News 6, the plans for a Qatari squadron in Idaho date back to 2021, when the Department of the Air Force began drafting an Environmental Assessment. That report was finalized in March 2022.
WATCH: Air Force records reveal Idaho’s new Qatari air base has been in the works for years.
The final assessment outlines a 10-year arrangement to base 12 Qatari F-15QA fighter jets and about 300 personnel at Mountain Home. The new squadron would operate as a “separate but integrated fighter squadron under the operational command of the 366th Fighter Wing commander.”
The proposal calls for new hangars, housing, and support facilities, all funded by Qatar. In a Finding of No Significant Impact released in 2022, the Air Force concluded that “by continuing standard environmental protection measures and best management practices, there would be no significant impacts from the Qatar beddown at Mountain Home Air Force Base.”
The documents also estimate about 2,400 additional flight missions each year, with roughly 14% occurring at night, all using existing training routes across southwest Idaho.
Mountain Home already hosts the Republic of Singapore Air Force, which has trained there since 2008.
The Air Force determined there would be no significant increase in noise levels and predicted modest economic benefits tied to additional personnel and construction spending. However, national security implications remain under Pentagon oversight.
The initial agreement outlined a 10-year beddown with an option to extend for another decade, though it’s not clear if that term was adopted in the final deal.
