Our colleagues at The War Zone dug up some intel that the United States Air Force wants to buy a couple of Tesla Cybertrucks to shoot missiles at. It’s the only make/model called out specifically on a recently discovered wants-list of 33 target practice vehicles to get blown up at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico. Obviously, the image and idea are pretty funny, but the reasoning seems odd.
The military acquires cars and trucks to destroy for training purposes all the time. Typically, targets are specified broadly, by body style (sedan, SUV, pickup, and so on). But as Joseph Trevithick reported last night:
“The explicit requirement for the Cybertrucks—which do not need to be in running condition, but do need to be able to roll towed behind another vehicle—requires a formal sole-source justification, a redacted copy of which is among the documents that AFTC has shared online.”
In short, the USAF thinks the Cybertruck’s unique design and EV powertrain will show up on a battlefield soon. And whoever’s in charge of target recommendations thinks that acquiring two of them to shoot at will be a valuable training exercise.
Here’s the language the military’s using exactly:
“On 13 February 2025, market research was conducted to assess the competition for the Tesla Cybertruck by evaluating its design, materials, impact resistance, and innovative technologies. The study revealed that the Cybertruck’s aggressively angular and futuristic design, paired with its unpainted stainless steel exoskeleton, sets it apart from competitors typically using painted steel or aluminum bodies.”
“Additionally, its 48V electrical architecture provides superior power and efficiency, a feature that rivals are only beginning to develop. Extensive internet searches and industry outreach by [redacted] found no vehicles with features comparable to those of the Cybertruck.”
“…[redacted] intends to uses [sic] specific Tesla manufactured vehicles for target vehicle training flight test events. In the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks [sic] as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact,” it adds. “Testing needs to mirror real world situations. The intent of the training is to prep the units for operations by simulating scenarios as closely as possible to the real world situations.”
That last paragraph is particularly eye-catching, especially since TWZ didn’t find any elaboration on what the Air Force meant by “operating theatre” in this context. The Cybertruck is currently only sold en masse in the United States and Mexico. Some have popped up in other corners of the world, and it is slated for sale in the Middle East this year (specifically Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar). But even after seeing Ramzan Kadyrov’s machine gun-equipped Cybertruck on CNN, the odds of encountering Cybertrucks as enemy combatant units on a field of battle seem low.
Is the US government gearing up to engage targets in the Erewhon parking lot by Venice Beach? Or just looking to conveniently take unsold CTs off Tesla’s hands?
I get the point about the vehicle’s design, love it or hate it, it’s undeniably unique-looking. But, in all seriousness, couldn’t the USAF get the same result by bolting some angled sheets of steel onto a golf cart or a trailer? If the Cybertrucks it needs don’t have to be running, I don’t see the practical difference between shooting at one of them versus a teepee of slanted steel. Or a dumpster.
It all seems a little sketchy, especially if the Air Force plans to acquire new six-figure Cybertrucks to blow up. If their procurement people are savvy enough to pull a couple out of a Copart salvage yard, then I guess it’s fine. But I’d still like to know more about why the military thinks it’s going to be shooting at these for real in the near future.
Got any insight on why the Air Force might want to buy Cybertrucks for target practice? Drop me a note at [email protected].
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