unforum

[sp103]

Simple facts here: You couldn't organize ground support, including tanks and rocket launchers so quickly. Especially rocket launchers because they need to be signed out by a base commander. All military people know if you are given hand grenades or rocket launchers (UNHEARD of unless in a war zone!) you are in for some serious sh*t. That authorization takes time. When doing drills your not given this type of weapon due to potential impact. Rocket launchers, especially, are extremely dangerous. They are unreliable and aiming is very hard. Their ability to fall into the wrong hands (enemy) is another reason due to their portability. Thats why we hear about rocket attacks so much in the unstable areas of the world.

The fact we see ground soldiers as the first wave is absurd. Air support would be first, but it wouldn't fire before ground support was given a chance. So it's sort of accurate in that respect, but the 1 hr 30 turn-around time given by the movie to have foot soldiers armed with weapons mentioned about is completely out of reality.

Then again, this movie is about a giant monster knocking down NY. Fact is your more likely to see an F-16 scream over before seeing a soldier with a rocket launcher.

Finally the "hammer down" protocol is not a nuke, it's based on the "scorched earth" type of warfare that has been around since organized warfare began. If you can't beat the enemy, retreat and burn the area. Exploding nuclear ordinance anywhere on U.S. soil is out of the question. You'd kill the people with radiation in at least a 50 mile radius which would include any military and evacuated civilians. Then again if your conventional tactics aren't working, you may have to go nuclear. I doubt it however, as the monster doesn't pose such a threat due to it's speed (it wasn't very fast).

[manygrumpypants]

[Itsumo]

[Itsumo]

[Kayberry]

When MGP made landfall in the city, the military was pretty much required to limit civilian casualties as much as possible. So, after establishing themselves in the city their objective was to distract the monster and assist in the evacuation of the civilian population. Since MGP is seemingly attracted to being shot at, it would therefore be useful to continually fire weaponry at it despite a lack of effectiveness.

Six hours was the approximated time in which all of this could be done sufficiently while the monster could be duly held in one central location. If the monster returned to the water, it would likely become more difficult to fight and could lead to additional sorties in less than optimal locations for the military. Considering the options, Manhattan Island was expendable if it would kill this thing for good.

With the civilian population evacuated the combat tactics could change from isolation to full assault, allowing the military to up its arsenal to what should be more effective weaponry - various high-explosive bombs which can cause greater impact pressures than MGP would experience at the greatest ocean depths. Hammer Fall was merely the notation to drop everything we can on it. Ideally the first wave would not include tactical nukes in hopes that a wave of conventional high explosive bombs would obliterate it, which is all that we get to see.

[jamman1]

Alright, so let's assume that MGP lived, and that the military doesn't want to nuke it (or they do end up nuking it, but that doesn't work). What is the next move? Are there any other creative solutions for keeping the monster contained and/or killing it?

[OliMango]

[jamman1]

[lazarusHART]

[Kayberry]

Containment:
- Keep it engaged until it becomes exhausted or sleepy. It will want to head to the safety off the water. With no other recourse, the military would have to let it go since it would give them a reprieve from battle and allow them to study things like recovered tapes they find to draft a method of defense against the monster should it ever attack again.

- Resolve to find a bigger box.

Eradication:
- Use anti-organic chemical agents to dissolve the monster. Agent Orange comes to mind, but I would believe that just dumping a bunch of concentrated liquid chlorine would do the job as well. There would be additional environmental ramifications - it would ruin the water in the east river but...nevermind.

- Genetically engineer a virus that would target the monster and its parasites. Use a captured parasite as a means to infect the monster, as it is likely the only thing that could penetrate the monster's defenses if the monster is their host. It would be easy to force a captured parasite into starvation, then place it in close proximity of the monster to coerce it into feeding off of the closest available meal.

- Coerce it into attacking Tokyo, at which point Godzilla should emerge and fight it, suffering from an initial loss in the battle but recovering and claiming victory in the end. Disregard the fact that Meltdown had killed Godzilla in the last film in canon.

[jamman1]

[xboyonfirex]

[Master Shake]

We actually have kind of an "Oxygen Destroyer" in our arsenal...a fuel-air explosive. If the heat or concussion from it didn't kill MGP, it would suck all the air out its lungs. Can't fight if you can't breathe.

[OliMango]

[jamman1]