The US Senate has unanimously passed the Maverick Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at preserving three retired F-14 Tomcat aircraft and potentially restoring one to flying condition. Sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and cosponsored by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), the legislation authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to transfer the jets from storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona to the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The specified aircraft include two F-14D models with Bureau Numbers 164341 and 164602, and one F-14A, BuNo 159437. Currently mothballed at the Air Force’s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, these are among the last eight surviving F-14s at the facility. The bill requires demilitarization, bars restoration of weapons systems or combat capabilities, and mandates no cost to the federal government. The recipient commission would handle transportation, restoration, and maintenance, assuming all FAA and Navy compliance.
A key provision directs the Navy to provide excess spare parts to make one F-14D flyable or suitable for static display. The act also permits agreements with qualified nonprofits for airshow operations and commemorative events. The companion House bill, introduced by Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) with bipartisan cosponsors including Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), and Don Davis (D-N.C.), now awaits House approval. Without this measure, the jets faced scrapping under existing post-retirement restrictions.