The U.S. Senate passed legislation April 28 to transfer three retired F-14 Tomcats to an Alabama museum and potentially return one to flight, weeks after Israeli airstrikes destroyed what are believed to be the last operational Tomcats in the world.
Senate Bill 4161, the Maverick Act, cleared by unanimous consent after Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced it March 23. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) co-sponsored the bill. Its companion bill, H.R. 8331, was introduced on April 16 by Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ) and is currently under review by the House Committee on Armed Services.
The Maverick Act just passed the Senate, allowing the US Navy to transfer a trio of retired F-14D Tomcats and necessary spare parts to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
The F-14s have also been authorized to potentially be restored to flying condition. pic.twitter.com/lIA6gcQRfv
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) May 7, 2026
The named aircraft are F-14Ds 164341 and 164602, both Fighter Squadron 213 (VF-213) “Black Lions” jets, and F-14A 159437, one of two Fighter Squadron 32 (VF-32) “Swordsmen” Tomcats that shot down Libyan MiG-23 Floggers over the Gulf of Sidra on January 4, 1989. All three are stored at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
Under the bill, the Secretary of the Navy would supply excess spare parts “to make one of the F-14D aircraft flyable or able to complete a static display” at no cost to the government.
It’s almost certainly going to be incredibly time consuming, expensive, and difficult, but the bill paves the way for at least one F-14 to be flying again. pic.twitter.com/t4s5BdHxVq
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) May 7, 2026
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission would cover all expenses, comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements, and restrict operations to airshows and public events. No combat capability will be restored.
“The Maverick Act of 2026 creates a narrow exception to the post-retirement restrictions that have destroyed nearly all F-14s, ensuring that its legacy is preserved,” Hamadeh’s office stated May 1.
The bill’s advance follows SOFX’s March reporting that Operation Roaring Lion airstrikes on March 7 eliminated the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force’s (IRIAF) F-14 fleet at the 8th Tactical Fighter Base in Isfahan.
Over the weekend, Israeli forces conducted heavy strikes targeting the Iranian Air Force’s Khatami Air Base, home to Iran’s F-14 Tomcat fleet.
New satellite imagery shows widespread damage to the base, including aircraft shelters. pic.twitter.com/uMDyH238Vb
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 10, 2026
U.S. authorities scrapped most retired Tomcats after 2006 to prevent spare parts from reaching Tehran. With the IRIAF fleet gone, that rationale has changed.
