The US Air Force is purchasing two Tesla Cybertrucks for target practice. The decision was made as part of a comprehensive vehicle procurement plan for the White Sands Missile Test Range in New Mexico. According to documents uncovered by The War Zone, a total of 33 different vehicles will be brought to the test site; the Tesla Cybertruck is the only model with a brand-specific specification.
US Army to Shoot Cybertrucks
The documents in question highlight the Cybertruck’s selection for its robustness and potential threat profile in potential combat scenarios. According to the US Air Force, these vehicles were observed to sustain less damage than expected in major collisions.
This raises the possibility that potential real-world adversaries could use similar vehicles. According to military sources, the tests are being conducted under the most realistic conditions possible to prepare troops for complex combat environments.
When Tesla CEO Elon Musk first introduced the Cybertruck, he described it as “bulletproof,” even calling it “ideal for post-apocalyptic scenarios.” In this context, the Cybertruck presented a profile suitable for defensive uses beyond civilian use. Musk is known to have attempted to market the vehicle directly to the US military by highlighting these features.
However, the Cybertruck’s commercial performance has fallen far short of these claims. Tesla initially targeted 500,000 units per year, but it is currently selling approximately 20,000. These figures, which fall well short of expectations, demonstrate the vehicle’s market appeal.
There have been previous allegations that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov participated in conflicts in Ukraine with weaponized Cybertrucks. Such incidents reinforce the view that Cybertruck-like vehicles could pose a potential threat in the field. It is reported that the US military intends to test the vehicles in real-world conflict scenarios to this end.
The selection of the Cybertrucks as a target demonstrates, on the one hand, that the vehicle’s durability is taken seriously, but, on the other hand, that they are considered a potential threat in military planning. Details such as the type of testing the purchased vehicles will undergo and the ammunition they will be used with have not yet been disclosed.
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