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Are We Good With Qatar Fighter Jets Based in Idaho?

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by dynogator, Oct 10, 2025.

  1. dynogator

    dynogator GC Hall of Fame

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    Is this a usual thing? I see Singapore already has a presence at Mountain Home AFB. Is this part of the payoff for the shiny new jet gifted to Trump, or solid strategy? Or both?

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday the U.S. will host a new Qatari air force facility in Idaho, where pilots will train to fly F-15s. Hegseth said the Trump administration has signed the letter greenlighting the building of a Qatar Emiri air force contingent at the Mountain Home Air Force Base located in southwestern Idaho.

    “Location will be host to a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality, interoperability,” Hegeseth said Friday. “It’s just another example of our partnership.”

    Earlier this month, Trump penned an executive order to increase U.S. protection of Qatar following an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha that killed six people, including a Qatari security officer.

    “In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability,” the Oct. 1 order says.

    Pete Hegseth says U.S. to host Qatari air force facility in Idaho
     
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  2. docspor

    docspor GC Hall of Fame

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    It's not a real national security threat like free markets.
     
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  3. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    One of those things where if Obama did it, there would be militia guys running to their bunkers and Glenn Beck would put on a suicide vest. But more to the point, looks like that free airplane Trump got wasnt exactly "free" eh?
     
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  4. G8tas

    G8tas GC Hall of Fame

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    MAGA will use their logic to justify it
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 11, 2025
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  5. cron78

    cron78 GC Hall of Fame

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    Fighter pilots from numerous countries already train in joint exercises here at several AFBs, including in F35s. We have bases in about 80 countries around the globe. I don’t have a problem with one or two having more “permanent” presence here. Hopefully it builds relationships but doesn’t let our most advanced technology or techniques be shared. Strengthening communication channels and even camaraderie should be beneficial. Keeping friends close has value in knowing capabilities and perhaps in ascertaining loyalty.
     
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  6. dynogator

    dynogator GC Hall of Fame

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    I agree with much of this, but Qatar? Are they a traditional ally? And what's the deal with Trump signing an EO to protect Qatar from Israel? He's also committed funds and possible troops to Qatar.
     
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  7. oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    I posted this in another thread, but even the die hards are jumping ship

     
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  8. sierragator

    sierragator GC Hall of Fame

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    THey'll knuckle under to dear leader in due time. They always do.
     
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  9. G8tas

    G8tas GC Hall of Fame

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    Jumping ship? never going to happen
     
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  10. oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    His tantrum helped cause this today too. Though there is also some talk of a super whale manipulating the market. But the timing wasn’t coincidental.

     
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  11. OklahomaGator

    OklahomaGator Jedi Moderator Moderator VIP Member

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    I am not a huge fan of this, but we do have a base there. I realize it was a totally different time, but we have a section of our cemetery that holds British pilots who were trained here during WWII. It is surprising how many died during their training. We used to have a reunion where the British flyers would come back. I don't know if there are any left now.
     
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  12. okeechobee

    okeechobee GC Hall of Fame

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    I rather enjoy your ‘head buried in the sand and ask questions later’ approach to these topics.
     
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  13. officelife

    officelife All American

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    Why do I have the fear that this B rated news item will come back to bite us in the face. I feel like I have seen this story play out before…
     
  14. G8tas

    G8tas GC Hall of Fame

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    How much is Jared Kushner walking away with?
     
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  15. Emmitto

    Emmitto VIP Member

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    Qatar is an autocracy. So is Idaho. It’s a natural evolution.

    Also good strategic jumping off point for Putin. They already have Moscow there.
     
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  16. sierragator

    sierragator GC Hall of Fame

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    Is that before of after we see panel vans with speakers on our streets blaring the message " Russians are our friends"?
     
  17. GatorFanCF

    GatorFanCF Premium Member

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    Perhaps Trump is following the old MOB advice - keeping his friends close and his enemies closer (?).
     
  18. dynogator

    dynogator GC Hall of Fame

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    Apparently, we provide training grounds for half the world and his dog. But it's the NATO half (plus Singapore.) Sometimes we sell the various nations the jets, and throw in local training as part of the deal. Or like Qatar, a country is smaller than Connecticut, there's just not enough physical room for training operations.

    As for open spaces, though, there's great expanses of nothingness a lot closer to Qatar than the US. Why here? Why now?
     
  19. vaxcardinal

    vaxcardinal GC Hall of Fame

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    It’s a non issue
     
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  20. chemgator

    chemgator GC Hall of Fame

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    We have routinely provided training to pilots from countries that have bought U.S. military jets. Probably better to do it in a rural area than a more crowded area. We used to do training for Saudi Arabian and other pilots in Pensacola, until one of the trainees got his hands on a pistol and started shooting at people on the base. We don't own any land in the Middle East, so we can't do training there. And our European allies do not want partially-trained pilots flying military jets in their crowded air space. Hopefully, we can keep them from getting their hands on guns while they are here.
     
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