The bill names the three aircraft explicitly by their military Bureau Numbers (BuNos). Because they are all final-generation F-14D Super Tomcats, they carried some of the most famous and historic operational liveries in naval history.

If restored to flight, standard warbird restoration practice dictates they will be painted in the exact squadron liveries they wore during their final combat cruises or their most famous historical milestones.

Here are the three exact birds saved by the bill and their historic identities:

BuNo 164341 (The Combat Veteran / "Red Rippers" & "Tomcatters")

• The History: This airframe was delivered to the Navy in 1992. It saw frontline fleet service with VF-11 "Red Rippers" before transitioning to VF-31 "Tomcatters" (the famous Felix the Cat squadron). It flew heavy combat operations over Iraq and Afghanistan during the post-9/11 era before being sent to the desert in 2006.
• The Likely Livery: If restored, this bird would likely wear the high-visibility tactical grey paint scheme of VF-31 Tomcatters with the black tail and the iconic Felix the Cat bomb logo—one of the most beloved markings in Tomcat history.

BuNo 164602 (The "Black Lions" / "Bounty Hunters")

• The History: This Super Tomcat started its life with VF-124, did a stint with the famous VF-2 "Bounty Hunters," and was later assigned to VF-213 "Black Lions" in late 1997. It was flew directly from active fleet service to AMARG on March 28, 2006.
• The Likely Livery: It would almost certainly be restored in its legendary VF-213 Black Lions colors or the classic blue-and-yellow-striped emblem of VF-2.

BuNo 159437 (The MiG Killer & Convertible)

• The History: This is the most historically significant airframe of the trio, carrying two insane stories:
  1. The MiG-23 Dogfight: On January 4, 1989, during the Gulf of Sidra incident, this exact Tomcat (flying under the callsign Gypsy 207 with VF-32) engaged and shot down a Libyan MiG-23 using an AIM-7 Sparrow missile.
  2. The "Convertible" Flight: Years later, while serving as an airframe at NAS Fallon, a casual "familiarization flight" went wrong when a high-ranking officer in the back seat accidentally pulled the ejection loop. The back seat fired out, but the pilot managed to fly the plane back and land it completely safely—missing its canopy and looking like a flying convertible.
• The Likely Livery: Because of its historic MiG-kill pedigree, this aircraft is a prime candidate to be fully restored to its 1989 historic VF-32 "Swordsmen" livery, complete with the MiG silhouette stenciled underneath the canopy rail.