Us Military Finds A Good Use For Tesla Cybertruck: Missile Target Practice

Elon Musk has agelong bragged that nan Tesla Cybertruck is simply a uniquely impervious conveyance acknowledgment to its stainless alloy assemblage and “bulletproof” windows, calling it “an armored unit bearer from nan future.” Now that declare will beryllium put to nan trial by nary different than nan US Air Force, which intends to usage nan Cybertruck for immoderate target practice.

In documents uncovered by a publication called The War Zone (great name, btw), nan Air Force says it wants to bargain 2 Cybertrucks for “target conveyance training formation trial events.” The logic fixed is that America’s adversaries could activity to usage nan Cybertruck for subject purposes astatine immoderate constituent successful nan future, and nan Air Force wants to spot if it tin rustle them up.

In nan operating theatre ti is apt nan type of vehicles utilized by nan force whitethorn modulation to Tesla Cyber trucks arsenic they person been recovered not ot person nan normal grade of harm expected upon awesome impact. Testing needs ot reflector existent world situations. The intent of nan training is to prep nan units for operations by simulating scenarios arsenic intimately arsenic imaginable ot nan existent world situations.

The Cybertrucks were requested arsenic portion of a batch of 33 vehicles, including sedans, pickups, SUVs, and bongo trucks, that nan Air Force wants to usage for target believe astatine nan White Sands Missile Range successful New Mexico. The Cybertruck was nan brand-specific conveyance to beryllium cited successful nan documents, which speaks to nan military’s concerns astir its imaginable arsenic a force vehicle.

The Air Force cited immoderate of nan unsocial characteristics of nan Cybertruck successful nan documents outlining its procurement request, including nan vehicles’ “stainless alloy exoskeleton” and its 48V electrical architecture.

Of course, Musk himself has ruminated successful nan past astir nan Cybertruck’s imaginable arsenic a subject vehicle. According to Electrek, nan arguable billionaire brought up nan motortruck astatine an Air Force Space Pitch Day arena successful San Francisco successful 2019. And earlier this year, nan US Department of State included an bid for $400 cardinal worth of armored Teslas successful its 2025 procurement forecast — which galore took to beryllium an bid for Cybertrucks, successful particular. The trucks were said to beryllium nether information arsenic armored unit carriers for US diplomats, NPR reported.

But since then, hype astir nan Cybertruck has cooled considerably. Though Musk had predicted he would beryllium capable to waste complete 500,000 Cybertrucks annually, Tesla only sold little than 50,000 past year. And acknowledgment to Tesla’s — and Musk’s — ensuing marque crisis, its starting to look for illustration income of nan Cybertruck are apt to autumn moreover further.

But hey, if nan Air Force goes done pinch its purchase, that’s 2 much trucks connected nan ledger for nan company. And if nan motortruck blows up really nice, location could beryllium much of a early for nan Cybertruck arsenic subject target. Maybe nan Navy would want to trial Musk’s claims astir nan Cybertruck’s amphibiousness earlier launching a fewer torpedos astatine it.