Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important U.S. ally.

The facility in Idaho will be used to train Qatari pilots to fly F-15 fighter jets, the US defence secretary says.

Pete Hegseth said that it’s “just another example of our partnership,” while seated next to the Qatari Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Pentagon agrees to build Qatari Emiri Air Force facility in Idaho as part of the ongoing U.S.-Qatar partnership, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Friday.

The US has finalized an agreement that will allow Qatar to build an air force facility in Idaho, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced. He said the facility, where pilots from the Gulf state would be trained to fly F-15 fighter jets, would be established at the Mountain Home Airbase in the north-western US state. "It's just another example of our partnership," Hegseth said during a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, at the Pentagon on Friday. Hegseth also praised Qatar for playing a "substantial role" in efforts led by President Donald Trump to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal. Qatar, along with Egypt and Turkey, has been an active mediator during months of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. On Friday, Hegseth said he was "proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force Facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho". "The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined…