Air Force buying two Tesla Cybertrucks so it can learn to destroy them

The US Air Force wants to blow up two Tesla Cybertrucks.

We know this because defense industry publication The War Zone spotted contract opportunity posted by the US Air Force Material Command, which seeks suppliers that can provide 33 “target vehicles” needed for tests and training.

A partly redacted contract document [PDF] explains the Air Force wants two of those vehicles to be Cybertrucks because its research indicated they “have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage upon major impact.” Enemies will therefore likely buy Cybertrucks, and the Air Force wants to gain experience destroying them.

The procurement docs also mention “Standoff Precision Guided Munition (SOPGM) training and tests” conducted by United States Special Operations Command. That sounds an awful lot like the US military wants to fire missiles at Cybertrucks to see how they react.

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The contract also requires the supplier to find 18 sedans with sunroofs, six of them painted white, another half-dozen black, and the remainder blue or green. Five SUVs and five pickup trucks also made the list, along with three Bongo trucks.

The Air Force is happy if the cars can’t run, but insists their wheels still turn and that their bodywork, glass, and mirrors are all intact.

Whoever wins the gig must drain all fluids before delivery and remove batteries from the Cybertrucks.

The latter requirement is intriguing, as Cybertruck uses lithium-ion batteries, which are known to burn fiercely. The Register fancies that if the USA’s enemies are using Cybertrucks, it could be useful to know what happens when their batteries meet a missile - if only to understand how to avoid collateral damage. Perhaps the Air Force would rather not have to douse a battery fire, which can be very hard to handle.

The Air Force’s assessment of Cybertrucks as unusually hardy may surprise, given Tesla has acknowledged faults including rust, parts that fall off, software glitches, faulty drive inverters, and more parts falling off due to inadequate adhesive. ®