Plans for early deployment of ground-based defenses against foreign missiles can now safely be postponed.

Some critics say it might not be as effective as a ground-based defense.

Missions require the player to evade ground-based and airborne defenses.

But then they plunged into the atmosphere, and the ground-based defenses opened up on them, hammering at the small craft's shields.

In addition, the Senate turned back an amendment that would limit the ground-based defenses to one site.

As soon as ground-based defenses were completed, the greater part of the fleet must go on to other duties.

Lawmakers told the agency to field a limited ground-based defense of the nation by by 1996 or whenever the technology was ready.

Development was discontinued later in favor of a limited ground-based defense.

Indeed, Congress accelerated the ground-based defenses by four years largely because of the gulf war experience.

The plan would shift the program's focus from space-based missile interceptors to ground-based defenses.