Senate Authorizes Transfer of Three Retired F-14D Tomcats to Alabama Museum

U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The measure allows the transfer of the aircraft along with necessary spare parts.

The three F-14D Tomcats have also been authorized to potentially be restored to flying condition, according to the text of the bill.

U.S. The outlet noted the aircraft had previously been held in storage after their retirement from active naval service.

U.S. That provision sets the Maverick Act apart from earlier transfer proposals that restricted the planes to static display only. Lawmakers inserted the language after months of coordination between Navy officials and museum administrators seeking to preserve the distinctive swing-wing fighters.

The F-14D variant represented the final evolution of the Tomcat line before the type was fully retired in 2006.

The bill's passage marks the first time Congress has authorized the release of retired F-14 airframes with explicit permission for possible flight restoration. Previous transfers to museums required permanent grounding to comply with arms-control regulations on certain avionics.

@Osinttechnical reported the development without additional detail on the exact timing of the physical transfer or which specific Tomcats had been selected.

The outlet's post circulated widely among aviation enthusiasts tracking the dwindling number of surviving F-14s. U.S. Addition of the Tomcats, if restored, would allow occasional flight demonstrations alongside its existing rocket and space artifacts.