The Cybertruck of Tesla They arrived on the market at the end of 2023 Amid a great expectation, as the million reserves that the electric pickup had. However, the vast majority of them, with an initial cost of 100 dollars that later increased to 250, did not translate in sales: only between one 2 % and 16 %according to Wired. This has led Tesla to accumulate a surplus of 10,000 units without selling in the United States that will now be relieved -not significantly, but for reasons that will please Elon Musk- by the United States Army.
The Air Force Plan to acquire Two Tesla Cybertrucksnot for transport or patrol tasks, but as Objective vehicles in precision ammunition tests. According to recently published documents, the Air Force considers that In the future enemies could use cybertrucks. Therefore, they want to test them with bombs and missiles.
These vehicles are part of a broader lot of 33 units than the Air Force Test Center (AFTC) seeks to acquire. Deliveries are planned in the White Sands missile fieldin New Mexico.
Unlike other sedans, SUV, light vans and trucks collected in the AFTC list, Cybertrucks are mentioned specifically and with a formal justification. It is not necessary for vehicles to be operational, but they should be able to be towed.
The main objective is to support the program SOPGM (Acronym for long -range precision guided ammissions) of the US Special Operations Command.which includes weapons thrown from the air like missiles AGM-114 Hellfire, AGM-176 Griffin and the bombs GBU-69/b and GBU-39b/b. These weapons are usually used to attack enemy vehicles in complex environments.
‘On February 13, 2025, a market investigation was conducted to evaluate Tesla Cybertruck competition, analyzing Its design, materials, impact resistance and innovative technologies‘, indicates a document released by the AFTC that the War Zone collects.
‘The study revealed that the aggressively angular and futuristic design of the cybertruck, combined with its unpainted stainless steel exoskeleton, lor distinguish other vehicles that usually use steel or painted aluminum bodies‘.
According to the medium, the same document indicates that the Air Force wants to use ‘vehicles specifically manufactured by Tesla for testing and training events with target vehicles’, Under the aforementioned hypothesis that adversaries could start using this resistant vehicle in conflict areas.
It is pointed out that these vehicles ‘They do not suffer the degree of habitual damage after important impacts’. Therefore, ‘tests must replicate real situations’ to Better prepare units against plausible combat scenarios. The document does not specify who this enemy would be or in which scenarios this confrontation could occur.
The report also highlights that Cybertruck ‘electric architecture’ provides greater power and efficiency ‘a capacity that competitors are just beginning to adopt. He adds that ‘after exhaustive searches on the Internet and contacts with the industry, (censored) He did not find any vehicles comparable to those of the Cybertruck‘.
Elon MuskCEO of Tesla, promoted Cybertruck as a vehicle ‘bulletproof’ and suitable for military useand even presented it to US defense managers. The magnate described the cybertruck as ‘Apocalypse test’with a body and crystals, in theory, resistant to the shooting.
Its resistance is not that of a armored vehicle, but the Cold rolled steel ultra-duro 30x with which it is built It can stop small caliber impacts. As for the window glass, the famous anecdote is significant during the presentation of the vehicle in 2019in which He launched a steel ball against a cybertruck window, which broke to Musk’s surprise. Subsequently, various tests have shown that, like the body, they can withstand small caliber shots. Offers, in any case, greater protection than other vehicles of its type.