▁miss ile , ▁but ▁these ▁were ▁very ▁short - range ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁considered ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁wide - area ▁system , ▁although ▁obser vers ▁suggested ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁would ▁claim ▁otherwise . ▁More ▁important ly , ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁treat y ▁required ▁those ▁rad ars ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁Grand ▁F ork s , ▁which ▁would ▁not ▁help ▁M PS , ▁which ▁was ▁located ▁well ▁over ▁ ▁to ▁the ▁south west . ▁The ▁Army ▁thus ▁developed ▁Lo AD S ▁strictly ▁as ▁a ▁technology ▁demonstr ation ▁program , ▁with ▁the ▁option ▁of ▁rapid ▁construction ▁in ▁case ▁the ▁AB M ▁treat y ▁ended . ▁Cost s ▁of ▁a ▁deployed ▁system ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁$ 8 . 6 3 ▁billion ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁( ▁billion ▁in ▁). ▁ ▁S entry ▁ ▁Se ek ing ▁to ▁lower ▁the ▁spir alling ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁M X ▁system , ▁which ▁had ▁reached ▁at ▁least ▁$ 3 5 ▁billion ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Jimmy ▁Carter ▁announced ▁a ▁greatly ▁simplified ▁deployment ▁using ▁simpler ▁sil os ▁and ▁reduced ▁number ▁of ▁false ▁launch ers . ▁The ▁launch ers ▁changed ▁from ▁vertical ▁to ▁horizontal , ▁which ▁would ▁reduce ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁building ▁them ▁and ▁make ▁it ▁simpler ▁to ▁rapidly ▁move ▁the ▁miss iles ▁in ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁sil os ▁without ▁it ▁being ▁easily ▁seen . ▁Lo AD S ▁was ▁adapted ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁these ▁new ▁sh el