Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) has asked fiscal year 2003 defense appropriations conferees to provide $25 million for radio upgrades to F-15 aircraft flying homeland security missions. Air Force jets on combat air patrols communicate on the ultra high-frequency band, while commercial airliners they may intercept in emergencies use the very high-frequency band. Indirect communication between the F-15s and commercial aircraft "can be cumbersome, time-consuming and subject to error," which could result in tragedy, Grassley wrote in an Aug. 16 letter...
