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The U.S. Air Force reveals how they would fight Godzilla

How would a real-life government and military deal with the appearance of a giant, city-destroying monster like Godzilla?

Hopefully Warner Bros.’ upcoming “Godzilla” reboot is the closest we’ll ever have to come to answering that question, but we'd still like to know. Presumably wondering the same thing, the Smithsonian’s Air & Space magazine recently asked members of the U.S. Air Force at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan that very question: How would they handle Godzilla?

“Kadena is the keystone of the Pacific,” Master Sergeant Jason Edwards told Air & Space. “Due to our strategic location we are able to quickly respond to any threat in the region, including Godzilla -- should he come to Japan."

How many aircraft and personnel would be needed to mount a cohesive assault against Godzilla?
"Probably all the F-15s we have here and maybe some of the Cobras from up at Futenma [a nearby U.S. Marine air station],” Senior Airman Mark Hermann said. “At the very least!"

There are currently two squadrons of F-15 Eagle fighter jets stationed at Kadena AFB, with 54 aircraft in total, and nearby MCAS Futenma has a large number of AH-1W SuperCobra/Viper attack helicopters at the ready. That’s a heck of a lot of firepower.

But this is Godzilla we’re talking about here! The building-sized monster is not likely to go down easy. Thankfully, members of the USAF are taught to think outside of the box.

“Godzilla would be expecting an aerial attack,” Edwards joked. “So to catch him off guard I think we'd need 4,000 Segways and slingshots.”

What about back-up and how would they deal with that radioactive breath?
"Chuck Norris would be the obvious one, but as I understand it the Power Rangers are probably a good choice in this scenario,” Edwards said, adding that Bruce Lee and the Hulk (“the CG one, not the Lou Ferrigno one”) might also be good allies to have in a confrontation against the mighty Godzilla.

As for the radiation factor and the monster’s ability to survive underwater, decades of Cold War preparation have left the U.S. Air Force well equipped to deal with nuclear threats -- including (but not limited to) Godzilla.

"Atomic breath would be the worst. We're definitely going to be flying in chem gear, reducing our functionality, visibility, maneuverability, and all that,” Hermann notes. “If he goes underwater, the Navy can deal with him.”

But is Japan ready for another "Godzilla" attack?
Having battled Godzilla (or Gojira as he is locally known) almost every other year since 1954, Japan is better prepared than any country to defend against radioactive monsters from the bottom of the ocean. All kidding aside though, there is growing concern that Japanese audiences will reject Warner Bros.' new "Godzilla" film. (And after director Roland Emmerich's much-maligned 1998 version, who can blame them?)

“American Godzilla is just a giant iguana freaking out,” one hardcore Godzilla fan recently told the New York Post.

“The head is too small,” another Japanese fan said. “The voice is all wrong. It has to be much higher.”

Man-in-suit "Kaiju" movies like the Godzilla films are a beloved institution on the other side of the Pacific. Japan has made almost 30 movies featuring the monstrous character over the past 60 years, while the upcoming "Godzilla" is only Hollywood's second attempt. If anyone gets to defend the monster, it's them.

As far as many Japanese fans are concerned, why worry about destroying Godzilla when the American movie industry has already done the job?

"Godzilla" stomps into theatres on May 16.