The US Air Force plans to purchase two Tesla Cybertrucks and then fire at them. The military is taking this step to prepare for how to stop bad actors who might operate from the steel-framed pickup trucks in the future.
The US military arm will ship the Cybertrucks, among more than 30 target vehicles, to the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico to be utilized by the US Special Operations’ Stand Off Precision Guided Munitions (SOPGM) program. The program includes special operations-specific air-launched precision-guided munitions such as the AGM-114 Hellfire, the AGM-176 Griffin missile, and the GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition (SGM).
The Air Force does not require the Cybertrucks to be fully operational for the live-fire tests. However, they must be capable of rolling while being towed, meaning the wheels and axles must be intact and in good working condition.
According to the Air Force Training Center (AFTC), the Cybertruck was selected due to its design, materials, impact resistance, and innovative technologies. The institution also noted the pickup truck’s 48V electrical architecture offers superior power and efficiency compared to its rivals.
The AFTC stated the Cybertrucks will be used for target vehicle training flight test events. It adds, “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. 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.”
The US Air Force has not elaborated on the who enemies are or where they are expected to operate. However, terrorists and militants have been known to use pickup trucks in different parts of the world, including the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
It is not improbable that they will be attracted to the Cybertruck, which, as demonstrated by Tesla at the 2023 delivery event, can stop bullets with its windows and side panels.
