text: Appendix A
  Army AMD Strategic Organizations and Systems
  Army AMD organizations consist of echelons of command ranging from the strategic
  to the tactical level and manned by active component and National Guard Soldiers.
  This appendix briefly addresses organizations and systems that are generally
  categorized as strategic-level. See FM 3-27 for more discussion of the Ballistic Missile
  Defense System (BMDS) and JP 3-27 for discussion of AMD of the Homeland, to
  include the Army AMD mission in defense of the National Capital Region
  BMDS
  A-1. BMDS is an architectural construct that encompasses the strategic and operational theater missile
  defense capabilities of the services. BMDS is system-architected by the Missile Defense Agency, with some
  systems developed by the agency and fielded and operated by service personnel and some systems under
  service development, fielding, and operation. BMDS encompasses Air Force, Navy and Army systems linked
  by C2BMC. The Army systems are GMD, JTAGS, and AN/TPY-2 radars operating in the forward-based
  mode, all discussed below, and Patriot, and THAAD which are presented in appendix B. BMDS capabilities
  are frequently referred to in terms of tiers:
  * Upper tier is a layer of airspace that encompasses very high altitudes within the atmosphere
  to outside the atmosphere in which air and missile defense engagements are conducted.
  Upper tier systems are designed to defeat ballistic missiles, from intercontinental to short-range
  variants, during the mid-course and early terminal phases of their flight.
  * Lower tier is a layer of low-to-high airspace within the atmosphere in which air and missile
  defense engagements are conducted. Lower tier systems are designed to defeat close-, short-,
  and medium-range ballistic missiles during the terminal phase of their flight.
  GMD
  A-2. GMD is a major component of BMDS and the U.S. missile defense strategy to counter intermediate-
  range and intercontinental ballistic missiles in defense of the United States and designated areas. The GMD
  system consists of multiple sensors, a complex communications system and fire control capability, and
  ground-based interceptors. GMD fire control and ground-based interceptor components are deployed in the
  United States, while contributing sensors operated by the Army, Navy and Air Force are deployed around
  the world and in orbit. GMD is an upper tier system. Figure A-1 on page A-2, show a GMD launch event.