September 25, 2004 -- The fifth of 16 missile interceptors planned for emplacement at Fort Greely, Alaska, by the end of 2005, is lowered into the silo. The Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) System is the first and only operationally deployed missile defense program to defend the homeland against long-range ballistic missile attacks. The system provides early detection and tracking during the boost phase, midcourse target discrimination, precision intercept and destruction of inbound ICBMs through force of hit-to-kill technology.