The US says Qatar will build an air force base in Idaho.
The US has made a special deal allowing Qatar to build its own air force base at Mountain Home AirThe US has officially allowed Qatar to build itsbase in Idaho. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced this, own air force base at Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho. This decision, announced by US Defence saying it’s more than just a typical arms Secretary Pete Hegseth, is more deal; it brings Qatar, a major partner in the Gulf, directly into the US national security system.
The deal confirms that Qatar will host a contingent of its F-15 fighter jets and pilots at the Idaho facility for combined training. This “interoperability” is a central pillar of US security doctrine, ensuring that the armed forces of partner states can seamlessly operate with US command structures. Secretary Hegseth praised the deal as “just another example of our partnership,” underlining the permanent nature of this strategic alignment.
Biopolitics of Interoperability: Controlling Air Power and Technology
The decision to base and train Qatari pilots on US soil is a direct exercise in the biopolitics of military technology and infrastructure. By training Qatari forces on advanced F-15 jets at an active US base, Washington secures oversight and control over the technological capabilities and, crucially, the operational deployment of this allied air power.
This agreement ensures not only that Qatari pilots achieve “increased lethality” but that their capacity for projection is structurally dependent on US logistics and training mandates. The transfer of military technology and training mechanisms across continents is a strategic move to manage and govern regional conflicts by controlling the power dynamics of key actors.
