The legendary F-14 Tomcat could potentially return to the skies after nearly two decades of retirement — and this time, it wouldn’t just be on a movie screen with Tom Cruise’s character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, in the cockpit of the aircraft.
The F-14 Tomcat entered service with the US Navy in 1975 and became a global icon in 1986 when Tom Cruise piloted one in the blockbuster film “Top Gun,” stunning the audience with his portrayal of the “need for speed.” With its distinctive variable-sweep wings, raw power, and charismatic presence, the Tomcat earned a special place in popular culture and aviation history, and its legacy continues to this day.
Although the US Navy decommissioned all of its Tomcats in 2006, military observers and combat aviation fans have longed to see the aircraft fly again. The 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick” reignited that passion with a memorable scene featuring the Tomcat in a dogfight against a next-generation fighter, widely believed to be a Russian Su-57. However, those aerial sequences were digitally generated, and no real F-14s flew in the film.
This long-held dream could soon become reality through the “Maverick Act,” a bill co-sponsored by Senators Tim Sheehy and Mark Kelly. The bill reportedly passed the Senate unanimously on April 28, 2026, and is now poised for a vote in the House.
If passed by the House, the bill would allow the Secretary of the Navy to send three F-14D Tomcats to the US Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama, with at least one being flight-worthy. The three chosen aircraft, reportedly the only aircraft of this type in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, have already been assigned Bureau Numbers 164341, 164602, and 159437.
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
Notably, the Commission in Huntsville oversees the US Space & Rocket Center, a space-focused museum that already houses relics such as the F-14A Tomcat, the F-16B Fighting Falcon, and the Lockheed A-12 Oxcart.
“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,” the bill states rather categorically. Further, it clarifies that the aircraft “does not have any capability for use as a platform for launching or releasing munitions or any other combat capability that it was designed to have.”
The bill states that the Secretary of the Navy is not obligated to repair or modify the aircraft’s condition before transferring ownership.
However, in an interesting (and unexpected) turn, it adds that the Secretary could provide any maintenance and operations manuals or additional spare parts.
“The Secretary [of the Navy] shall provide excess spare parts to make one of the F-14D aircraft flyable or able to complete a static display, provided that any part transferred is from existing Navy stock, with no items being procured on behalf of the Commission,” the bill states, suggesting that at least one of the three aircraft could soar in the sky again.
“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,” the proposed legislation adds. As such, the Secretary of the Navy would allow the Commission to enter into agreements with relevant nonprofit organizations to help with restoring and operating the aircraft “for public display, airshows, and commemorative events to preserve naval aviation heritage.
Additionally, the bill states that the transfer would be subject to the “condition that the Commission shall operate and maintain the aircraft in compliance with all applicable limitations and maintenance requirements imposed by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.” “The Commission must obtain the Secretary’s prior approval before transferring any ownership interest in or possession of the aircraft to another party.”
The Commission will be able to secure qualified assistance outside the Department of the Navy, much as the Collings Foundation did with the F-4D Phantom, the type’s sole flying aircraft in the United States. “The Secretary may authorize the Commission to enter into agreements with qualified nonprofit organizations for the purpose of restoring and operating the aircraft transferred under subsection for public display, airshows, and commemorative events to preserve naval aviation heritage,” the bill states.
Notably, the Maverick Act and its passing in the Senate have given some the impression that Iran’s F-14 Tomcat fleet has been completely wiped out during the US and Israel’s joint war against Iran, which started on February 28 and ended in a ceasefire on April 7.
This speculation is gaining root because the US has, so far, tightly protected retired F-14 Tomcats in an attempt to keep the spare parts from ending up in Iran.
After the F-14’s final retirement in September 2006, the US Navy sent most remaining aircraft to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. However, instead of long-term storage, as with many other retired jets that could potentially be reactivated, the Pentagon opted for deliberate destruction of the F-14 Tomcats. In fact, reports suggest that between 2007 and 2009, a majority of these jets were shredded, rendering them unusable scrap.
While some retired F-14s remain on public display at various military bases and museums across the United States, none have been allowed to be returned to flying condition. On the contrary, several attempts to restore the jets have been shot down over the years.
In the film Top Gun: Maverick, for instance, a real F-14 Tomcat was used for taxiing, runway runs, hangar scenes, and cockpit close-ups. However, the flying scenes are said to have been digitally generated or composited, as no suitable real F-14s were available to fly.
Although it cannot be independently verified if Iran’s F-14 fleet has been completely destroyed, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed in March 2026 that they had destroyed multiple IRIAF F-14 Tomcats in a massive air strike on Isfahan Airport, as the EurAsian Times reported at the time. Additionally, it said 16 aircraft used by the IRGC Quds Force at Mehrabad International Airport were also struck.
Some reports earlier stated that there were 24 to 30 operational F-14 Tomcats in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) before the June 2025 12-Day War between Israel and Iran. Therefore, experts believe the West Asian state has likely lost almost its entire Tomcat inventory.
F-14 Tomcats “Mavericks”
F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, carrier-capable, twin-engine aircraft that was developed under the US Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program.
The aircraft was special from its inception as its development was based on air combat experience gathered by the US military during the Vietnam War. It was regarded as unique because it skillfully combined features that are now typical of modern fighter aircraft, such as top speed, extraordinary maneuverability, and cutting-edge avionics and weaponry.
When the aircraft was first put into service in the mid-1970s, the US Navy used it aboard the USS Enterprise. The aircraft served the US Navy in three vital capacities: as a maritime air-superiority fighter, a tactical aerial reconnaissance platform, and a defensive interceptor.
Iran’s pro-US monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, acquired 79 F-14A aircraft, advanced radar systems, and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, making it the only other operator of the aircraft after the US Navy. However, after the Shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution, the US imposed sanctions on Iran to stop the new, antagonistic government from utilizing weapons made in the West against the US. This included the F-14.
During the nearly eight-year Iran-Iraq conflict in the 1980s, Iranian F-14s saw significant action against MiG-25 Foxbats, MiG-21s, and even French Mirage F1 jets.
When the US imposed sanctions on Iran, it was left with no other recourse but to showcase resilience and improvise. “Defence aerospace businesses are such that there are still spares of older aircraft available, which can be purchased in the grey markets. Countries that cannot buy them openly often source these products through third parties, the official buyers, and later divert them to the main party,” Indian Air Force veteran Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) earlier explained to the EurAsian Times.
To keep the aircraft airworthy for as long as possible, Iran somehow refitted them with domestic avionics and weaponry. However, problems persisted because Iran’s domestic electronics, components, assemblies, and reinforcements did not meet the exacting requirements set by US manufacturers, limiting the aircraft’s flight time.
It was precisely for this reason that Washington either destroyed its retired F-14s or reduced them to mere showpieces.
Although the aircraft took part in several international conflicts, the US Navy decommissioned it in 2006 and replaced it with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
However, if the ball is passed in the House, a “Maverick” will roar again in the American skies after two decades
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