By Alex Brizee, The Idaho Statesman
BOISE, Idaho — Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced Friday {that a} facility for a department of Qatar’s armed forces might be constructed on the Mountain Dwelling Air Pressure Base south of Boise.
“Right this moment, we’re signing a letter of acceptance to construct a Qatar Emiri Air Pressure facility on the Mountain Dwelling Air Pressure Base in Idaho,” he instructed reporters on the Pentagon. “The situation will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to boost our mixed coaching, enhance lethality, interoperability.”
Hegseth added that it’s “simply one other instance of our partnership,” whereas seated subsequent to the Qatari Minister of Protection Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The announcement got here throughout a information convention addressing the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the place he thanked Qatar for the “substantial function” they performed.
“I wish to thanks for that historic peace,” Hegseth instructed Al Thani.
Pilots from the Qatar Emiri Air Pressure, and their F-15s, will be a part of a base that already homes members of the Republic of Singapore Air Pressure, who’ve skilled and lived within the quiet city outdoors of Boise since 2009.
The opportunity of Friday’s transfer was introduced years in the past, and in 2022 the Air Pressure honed in on Mountain Dwelling as the situation to accommodate 300 personnel, together with a 170 Qatari trainees and 130 U.S. Air Pressure energetic obligation personnel and contractors, the Idaho Statesman reported.
It’s unclear whether or not the specifics from that contract stay the identical. The Statesman reached out to the Mountain Dwelling Air Pressure Base, the Governor’s Workplace and the White Home for extra info.
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, praised the information on social media.
“This growth is helpful for coaching, enhances our partnership with America’s allies, and strengthens nationwide safety,” Simpson wrote on X.
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