US Air Force buys Tesla Cybertrucks to use as missile targets

Elon Musk’s dream may have just come true: the U.S. military will use the Tesla Cybertruck. But the billionaire could hardly have imagined that it would have such a special purpose.

According to the documentation reviewed by the website The War Zone and Electrek, US Air Force Test Center plans to purchase 33 vehicles for the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The RFP mentions various sedans, pickups, SUVs, and trucks, but does not specify any brand requirements — except for the Tesla Cybertruck (at least two of which are on the list).

The most interesting thing is that all of these vehicles are planned to be used as targets for precision weapons. This is how the military officially explained the request:

“[Fragment hidden] intends to use specific Tesla-made vehicles for launch training tests. It is likely that in real combat conditions, the enemy may use Cybertrucks, as they do not receive the same degree of damage as conventional vehicles during a heavy impact. The purpose of the training is to prepare units for operations by simulating scenarios as close as possible to real-life situations.”

Повітряні сили США купують Tesla Cybertruck, щоб використовувати як мішені для ракет — Key sections of the contract document justifying the procurement of Cybertrucks for use as targets / US Air Force

All tests will be conducted in support of the Stand Off Precision Guided Munitions (SOPGM) program, which encompasses several types of precision-guided air munitions developed for special forces:

various modifications of AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles;
AGM-176 Griffin missiles;
GBU-69/B small-caliber planning bomb;
small-diameter cruise missile with a laser guidance system GBU-39B/B.

There is also one clear requirement for Cybertrucks in the request — they do not have to be in full working order, but they must at least be towed behind another vehicle.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously touted the Cybertruck as a “bulletproof” vehicle designed to “survive the apocalypse.” He assumed that the electric pickup truck could be used by the military, but he could hardly have guessed that it would be used in this way.

So far, the Cybertruck has not been the breakthrough the company was hoping for. It was expected that Tesla would produce 250,000 cyber pickups a year, and later half a million. However, actual sales are still at the level of only 10% of the available production capacity.