Officials said the Saudis have sought a minimum deployment from 2014
through 2019. They said Riyad would consider a longer-term presence in the
United States at a later stage.
The Saudi Air Force specified a training ground that would resemble the
Gulf environment, officials said. Mountain Home already hosts training by
250 members of the Singaporean Air Force.
"Our thorough analysis has led us to select Mountain Home AFB as the
preferred alternative to potentially host our Saudi partners and to build
both their capacity and interoperability with the U.S. Air Force," Ms. Grant
said.
Officials said the Saudi training was part of a U.S. project to supply
$60 billion worth of F-15s and attack helicopters to the military of the
Gulf Cooperation Council kingdom. The arms package, approved by Congress in
November 2010, included 84 F-15Es as well as more than 130 Apache attack and
Black Hawk utility helicopters.
Under the plan, the Saudi Air Force would deploy an F-15 squadron at
Mountain Home by 2014. They said this would include 12 Saudi F-15s, 50
pilots and up to 200 maintenance personnel. Accommodations for the Saudis
could cost up to $500 million.
"The proposed training squadron would receive its first four aircraft in
early to mid-2014, with the remaining eight aircraft delivered by the end of
2014," the U.S. Air Force said. "The aircraft would facilitate primary air
crew and flight instructor training as well as maintenance training."
The Saudi deployment would require approval by Congress. Officials said
a final decision was not expected until late 2011.
"Air Force professionals will conduct an initial site survey in December
and initiate an environmental impact analysis process in early 2011, which
will provide opportunities for public comment, in preparation for the
possible basing arrangement," the U.S. Air Force said.