Prohibition on destruction or scrapping of World War II–era aircraft

(a) Prohibition The Secretary of Defense may not destroy, dismantle, scrap, cannibalize, or otherwise render permanently inoperable any aircraft that— (1) was manufactured prior to December 31, 1945; and (2) is in the custody or administrative control of the Department of the Air Force as of the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Authorized dispositions Aircraft described in subsection (a) may only be— (1) retained in the inventory of the Department of the Air Force; (2) transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force or other official Department of Defense museums; (3) transferred to qualified Federal agencies, nonprofit institutions, or museums with demonstrated indoor preservation and public display capabilities; or (4) de-accessioned under a plan approved by the Secretary of Defense that supports long-term preservation of such aircraft, and consistent with guidelines established in the committee report accompanying this Act. (c) Waiver authority The Secretary of Defense may waive the restriction under subsection (a) on a case-by-case basis only if— (1) the aircraft is determined by qualified personnel to be beyond practical restoration or preservation; (2) no eligible institution expresses interest in accepting the aircraft within 12 months following public notice of its availability; and (3) written notification and justification of the waiver is submitted to the congressional defense committees not less than 30 days prior to execution of any disposal action. (d) Aircraft defined In this section, the term aircraft includes any fixed-wing or rotary-wing manned aircraft in military service prior to December 31, 1945.

(a) Prohibition The Secretary of Defense may not destroy, dismantle, scrap, cannibalize, or otherwise render permanently inoperable any aircraft that— (1) was manufactured prior to December 31, 1945; and (2) is in the custody or administrative control of the Department of the Air Force as of the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Authorized dispositions Aircraft described in subsection (a) may only be— (1) retained in the inventory of the Department of the Air Force; (2) transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force or other official Department of Defense museums; (3) transferred to qualified Federal agencies, nonprofit institutions, or museums with demonstrated indoor preservation and public display capabilities; or (4) de-accessioned under a plan approved by the Secretary of Defense that supports long-term preservation of such aircraft, and consistent with guidelines established in the committee report accompanying this Act. (c) Waiver authority The Secretary of Defense may waive the restriction under subsection (a) on a case-by-case basis only if— (1) the aircraft is determined by qualified personnel to be beyond practical restoration or preservation; (2) no eligible institution expresses interest in accepting the aircraft within 12 months following public notice of its availability; and (3) written notification and justification of the waiver is submitted to the congressional defense committees not less than 30 days prior to execution of any disposal action. (d) Aircraft defined In this section, the term aircraft includes any fixed-wing or rotary-wing manned aircraft in military service prior to December 31, 1945.