Tesla Cybertrucks Wanted by Air Force as Missile Targets

The U.S. Air Force is looking to buy two Tesla Cybertrucks for use as targets for precision munitions during testing and training. The service says it needs these vehicles for this purpose specifically because of the prospect of unspecified adversaries driving around in them in the future.

The Cybertrucks are among 33 target vehicles the Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is looking to acquire and have delivered to the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico, according to contracting documents recently posted online. WSMR is run by the U.S. Army, but the Air Force has a significant presence there. There are no name-brand requirements for the other sedans, bongo trucks, pickups, and SUVs, that are also on AFTC’s shopping list. The primary intended use of all of the target vehicles is in support of U.S. Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM) Stand Off Precision Guided Munitions (SOPGM) program and related training. SOPGM covers multiple special operations-specific air-launched precision-guided munitions, including multiple variants of the AGM-114 Hellfire, the AGM-176 Griffin missile, the GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition (SGM), and the GBU-39B/B Laser Small Diameter Bomb (LSDB).

A GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition seen about to hit a target SUV during a test. Dynetics

A Hellfire missile seen about to impact a target vehicle being towed on a trailer behind another truck. Public Domain

The explicit requirement for the Cybertrucks – which do not need to be in running condition, but do need to be able to roll towed behind another vehicle – requires a formal sole-source justification, a redacted copy of which is among the documents that AFTC has shared online.

“On 13 February 2025, market research was conducted to assess the competition for the Tesla Cybertruck by evaluating its design, materials, impact resistance, and innovative technologies. The study revealed that the Cybertruck’s aggressively angular and futuristic design, paired with its unpainted stainless steel exoskeleton, sets it apart from competitors typically using painted steel or aluminum bodies,” the justification document explains. “Additionally, its 48V electrical architecture provides superior power and efficiency, a feature that rivals are only beginning to develop. Extensive internet searches and industry outreach by [redacted] found no vehicles with features comparable to those of the Cybertruck.”

More importantly, “[redacted] intends to uses [sic] specific Tesla manufactured vehicles for target vehicle training flight test events. 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,” it adds. “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 key sections of the contracting document laying out the justification for the purchase of Cybertrucks for use as range targets. USAF

The document does not elaborate on the “operating theatre” or “the enemy” in question, and TWZ has reached out to the Air Force for more information. Tesla effectively eliminated its public relations department years ago, but we have also reached out to its investor relations department for comment.

As of this spring, an estimated 46,000 Cybertrucks have been sold to date, though the exact number is unclear. Currently, Tesla only offers Cybertrucks for sale in North America, though examples have been exported elsewhere in the world. Tesla did announce in April that it was planning to start direct sales in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar before the end of the year.

Tesla

Without more context, it is hard to say what may have prompted the belief that U.S. adversaries might soon be driving Cybertrucks. It is worth noting that the primary targets for SOCOM’s SOPGM arsenal, at least as they are publicly known, have been terrorists and militants, especially ones riding in cars and trucks, in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and parts of Africa.

The Cybertruck’s windows and side panels have been shown to be bullet-resistant, stopping subsonic pistol caliber rounds, something that was heavily touted with the vehicle was first unveiled in 2019. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has described the vehicle, which has a retail price starting at around $80,000, as being “apocalypse-proof” in the past. At the same time, the Cybertruck has been dogged by recalls, controversies, and criticism over its actual performance, features (or lack thereof), safety issues, build quality, ownership terms of service, and more. There have been reports this year of flagging sales.

TWZ did previously lay out a detailed case for a militarized uncrewed version of the Cybertruck, which you can find here. Multiple companies are now offering Cybertrucks with add-on armor and other features aimed at prospective law enforcement, military, and private security customers.

A rendering of a notional militarized uncrewed Cybertruck. Mr Vu The Vuong (aircraft101)

One of the models in Unplugged Performance’s STING line, an example of an up-armored Cybertruck on the market now. Unplugged Performance

There have been some sales of Cybertrucks to law enforcement agencies, including the Dubai Police. The U.S. State Department made headlines earlier this year over a possible purchase of Cybertrucks, a plan it subsequently said had been shelved indefinitely.

The Dubai Police General Command has added the Tesla Cybertruck, the modern electric car with a futuristic design, to its tourist police luxury patrol fleet. pic.twitter.com/eubpvfjVbA

— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) June 16, 2024

Last year, Ramzan Kadyrov, the dictatorial head of Russia’s semi-autonomous Chechen Republic, also showed off several Cybertrucks with 12.7mm machine guns mounted in the back and claimed to have sent some of them to join the fighting in Ukraine. How and where Kadyrov, who the U.S. government and others have sanctioned, acquired the vehicles is unclear. He later claimed that Tesla had remotely disabled at least one of them.

After complaining Elon Musk remotely disabled his souped-up Cybertruck, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov claims he has sent two more that Tesla couldn't turn off.

Kadyrov says he sent them to the "zone of the special operation" in Ukraine. This was presumably filmed elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/HAH2DyNhFl

— max seddon (@maxseddon) September 20, 2024

What we do know is that the Air Force is looking to buy a pair of Cybertrucks to fire missiles and bombs during testing and training events based on the possibility that American forces may encounter enemies driving them going forward.

Contact the author: [email protected]