ory . ▁The ▁term ▁" anti - ball istic ▁miss ile " ▁is ▁a ▁generic ▁term ▁con ve ying ▁a ▁system ▁designed ▁to ▁intercept ▁and ▁destroy ▁any ▁type ▁of ▁ball istic ▁threat ; ▁however , ▁it ▁is ▁commonly ▁used ▁for ▁systems ▁specifically ▁designed ▁to ▁counter ▁inter cont inental ▁ball istic ▁miss iles ▁( IC B M s ). ▁ ▁Current ▁counter - IC B M ▁systems ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁only ▁four ▁systems ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁that ▁can ▁intercept ▁IC B M s . ▁Besides ▁them , ▁some ▁smaller ▁systems ▁exist ▁( t act ical ▁AB M s ) ▁that ▁generally ▁cannot ▁intercept ▁inter cont inental ▁strateg ic ▁miss iles , ▁even ▁if ▁within ▁range — an ▁incoming ▁IC B M ▁simply ▁moves ▁too ▁fast ▁for ▁these ▁systems . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Russian ▁A - 1 3 5 ▁anti - ball istic ▁miss ile ▁system ▁is ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁Moscow . ▁It ▁became ▁oper ational ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁and ▁was ▁preced ed ▁by ▁the ▁A - 3 5 ▁anti - ball istic ▁miss ile ▁system . ▁The ▁system ▁uses ▁G org on ▁and ▁Gaz elle ▁miss iles ▁with ▁nuclear ▁war head s ▁to ▁intercept ▁incoming ▁IC B M s . ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Gr ound - B ased ▁Mid course ▁Def ense ▁System ▁( G MD ), ▁formerly ▁known ▁as ▁National ▁Miss ile ▁Def ense ▁( N MD ), ▁was ▁first ▁tested ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁had ▁its ▁first ▁successful ▁intercept ▁test ▁in ▁