With the G8 summit coming up later this year, Japan is preparing to protect the world leaders attending, even if it means shooting down a commercial airliner:

Japanese officials are working on detailed plans to protect leaders of the G8 industrial nations, which are due to meet on the northern island of Hokkaido on July 7-9, the sources said.

Under one of the plans being considered, F-15 jet fighters from Japan’s air force would scramble to force hijacked aircraft to land at a nearby airport.

“But if that attempt fails and the plane is thought to be heading towards the G8 site to attack the summit, we might have to shoot it down,” one of the sources said. “That would be the worst-case scenario we are considering.”

Another source, however, expects security to be so tight that any hijacking will be unlikely. “In any case, we have to be prepared,” the source said.

He said the area in and around the G8 summit venue would be declared a “no fly zone” and armed police officers would be aboard all commercial planes in Japan.