The history of this debacle includes the threat to Fort Greely as a military base designated by the Pentagon for closure.  Ted and Frank went all out to prevent this as a threat to jobs in the Fairbanks and Alaska area.  They rammed the funding through Congress with the full aid of the Bush administration to build this "defense" system and save Fort Greely jobs.  California jumped on the bandwagon to do the same.  All of it despite the previous failure of the anti-missile systems of the Reagan era which most people thought were permanently abandoned.  Just another pork barrel gift from Ted to Alaska to guarantee the maximized profits of defense contractors for a few local jobs and guaranteed reelection for the politicians.  Doesn't matter if it works at all.