Under GPALS, where were ground-based interceptors planned?

• A. Ft Greely, Alaska
• B. Vandenberg AFB, California
• C. Both Ft Greely and Vandenberg
• D. None of the above

Answer: (C)

GPALS envisioned a defense against limited ICBM attacks using a two-site ground-based interceptor network to maximize coverage and redundancy. Placing interceptors at Fort Greely in Alaska and at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California would give two distinct footholds: the Alaska site targets missiles coming over the Arctic from Eurasia, while the California site provides coverage for threats approaching from the Pacific and strengthens western U.S. protection. This geographic spread reduces the risk that weather, radar gaps, or a single-point failure could disable the defense, and it makes successful interception more likely across different flight paths. That combination is why the plan called for both locations. (In practice, ground-based interceptors were eventually deployed at Fort Greely, with the Vandenberg site not becoming an active GBI location.)