GPALS was intended as what kind of system?

• A. An integrated ground- and space-based system able to defend U.S. forces anywhere in the world against salvos of up to 200 missiles.
• B. An orbital system to protect U.S. forces anywhere on the globe from attacks from Soviet orbital weapons.
• C. A global network of missile defense systems to protect every nation on earth from missile attack, thereby making nuclear war impossible.
• D. A global system of ground-based ASAT weapons to protect U.S. forces from strikes from satellites.

Answer: (A)

GPALS is about a layered, global missile-defense approach that combines ground-based and space-based elements to protect U.S. forces anywhere in the world from a limited ballistic-missile attack. The key idea is a worldwide shield capable of countering a salvo of roughly two hundred missiles, providing deterrence and protection in a scenario short of a full-scale all-out war. This integrated, worldwide system is not limited to orbital-only defense, nor is it intended to protect every nation or to rely on anti-satellite weapons. The emphasis on a coordinated ground and space defense against a plausible limited strike is what makes this the best fit.