Maverick Act Moves Historic F-14 Tomcats Toward Huntsville Display

Senator Tim Sheehy, with co-sponsor Senator Mark Kelly, introduced the “Maverick Act” on March 23, 2026. The Senate passed it unanimously on April 28, 2026; the House must still vote. The bill would transfer three retired F-14s—BuNos 164341, 164602 (F-14D) and 159437 (F-14A)—from the AMARG “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama, at no cost, providing manuals and excess spare parts and allowing one airframe to be restored for limited flight, while prohibiting combat use.

A U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat Might Return to the Skies Thanks to Congress’ “Maverick Act”

The F-14 retired in 2006, and spare parts were tightly controlled to block transfers to Iran. BuNo 159437 (“Fast Eagle 107”) fought in the Jan 4, 1989 Gulf of Sidra incident, where VF-32 downed two Libyan MiG-23s. The two F-14Ds slated for transfer served with VF-213 “Black Lions,” one of the Navy’s final Tomcat squadrons.

Congress Considers Transfer F-14 Tomcats to U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville

The Secretary of the Navy will deliver the aircraft, manuals and excess Navy-stock spare parts, but will not fund repairs. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center Commission assumes all transport, restoration, maintenance and compliance costs and may contract nonprofits to restore and operate the airframes for static display or limited airshow use.

A U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat Might Return to the Skies Thanks to Congress’ “Maverick Act”

Restoring aircraft that have sat in desert storage for two decades requires structural inspections, system overhauls and FAA certification. Spare-part scarcity and the Tomcat’s high operating costs make sustained airshow use unlikely; experts expect only occasional flight demonstrations and describe the effort as highly expensive.

A U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat Might Return to the Skies Thanks to Congress’ “Maverick Act”

Although the bill’s terms are clear, sources disagree on implementation details. No timeline or cost estimate has been provided, and the nonprofit responsible for restoration remains unspecified. Should the House pass the measure, the Commission could seek to make one F-14D airworthy, but experts expect a multi-year effort before any flight, with static display likely preceding limited flight demonstrations.

A U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat Might Return to the Skies Thanks to Congress’ “Maverick Act”

• “The Secretary will not be responsible for transferring any additional parts or providing any additional support beyond what is stated in this section, during or after the conveyance of the aircraft.” — Maverick Act text

A U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat Might Return to the Skies Thanks to Congress’ “Maverick Act”

• “Any costs associated with such conveyance, costs of determining compliance with terms of the conveyance, and costs of operation and maintenance of the aircraft conveyed shall be borne by the Commission,” — Maverick Act text

A U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat Might Return to the Skies Thanks to Congress’ “Maverick Act”

• “The proposed transfer would occur through a conditional deed of gift and at no expense to the federal government.” — Bill summary

Congress Considers Transfer F-14 Tomcats to U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville

• “co/ud4jZg86m5 The bill still needs to pass the house.” — OSINTtechnical, May 7, 2026

A U.S. Navy F-14D Tomcat Might Return to the Skies Thanks to Congress’ “Maverick Act”