‘Maverick Act’ saves last 3 F-14 Tomcats from destruction
The bill would let the museum restore one jet to flying condition for airshows or commemorative events while barring any combat capability.
- The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Maverick Act on May 1, authorizing transfer of three retired F-14D Tomcats from Arizona storage to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
- Following the aircraft's 2006 retirement, Pentagon officials shredded most decommissioned F-14s into "bits" to prevent sensitive parts from reaching Iran, the only remaining operator of the Tomcat.
- Introduced by Representative Abraham Hamadeh and sponsored by Senator Tim Sheehy , the bill permits restoring at least one jet to flying condition while strictly prohibiting combat capability restoration.
- The bill awaits a House vote expected in mid-to-late May, with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission bearing all transportation and restoration costs at no expense to the U.S.
- Four decades after the original "Top Gun" film debuted, the Maverick Act offers a rare opportunity to preserve the iconic F-14 Tomcat, a significant piece of naval aviation heritage.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The ‘Maverick Act’ Could See American F-14 Tomcats Fly Again
An F-14 Tomcat in service with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flies over a desert in the southwestern United States in 1986–1987. After the US Navy retired the Tomcat in 2006, most surviving models were destroyed to prevent spare parts from reaching Iran, the aircraft’s only other operator. (NASA) Topic: Air Warfare, and Congress Blog Brand: The Buzz Region: North America Tags: Aircraft, F-14 Tomcat, Fighter Jets,…
The F-14D Tomcat U.S. Navy Fighter Could Make the Ultimate Comeback
The F-14 Tomcat that Tom Cruise made famous in Top Gun is coming back to the sky. Congress just passed the Maverick Act of 2026 unanimously, transferring three F-14Ds from Davis-Monthan to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, with at least one to be restored to flying condition. The Pentagon spent 20 years destroying F-14 parts to stop Iran from flying its own fleet. The F-14D Tomcat Comeback? The possibility of an American F-14D Tomcat flying aga…
Last of the F-14 Tomcats could fly again under Maverick Act
The Navy retired the F-14 Tomcat from active duty in 2006, but lawmakers are once again feeling the need for speed. The Senate recently passed the Maverick Act, which would send three retired Navy F-14 Tomcats to a museum in Alabama for preservation, with at least the ambition of getting one back in the air. Sponsored by Sen Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), the bill would authorize the Navy Secretary to transfer three of the Navy’s last surplus Tomcats to …
The 'Maverick Act' could see an American F-14 Tomcat in the sky once more
You loved them in “Top Gun.” You mourned them in Midnight Hammer. It’s been 20 years since the F-14 officially retired from American service, leaving the operational Tomcats solely on Iranian airfields. Also Read: Aviation nerds are mourning Iran’s F-14 TomcatsBecause the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is the F-14’s sole user, the United States has been notoriously stingy about Tomcat parts, airframes, or other components, for fear t…
The F-14 Tomcat Was Retired Too Soon — Now Its Maker Could Win the Navy’s New F/A-XX Stealth Fighter
The F-14 Tomcat was retired far too soon—and now its maker may be on the verge of winning the biggest U.S. Navy fighter contract in a generation. Northrop Grumman, the legendary builder of the Mach 2.2 Tomcat that defined American carrier air power for three decades, is now locked in a brutal head-to-head competition with Boeing for the F/A-XX sixth-generation stealth fighter—and the F-14’s DNA may give Northrop the decisive edge. The F/A-XX Cou…
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