Tesla’s Cybertruck could soon be the target of United States Air Force missiles, according to contracting documents released online and found by TWZ. The country’s Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is searching for two of Tesla’s oddly-shaped pickup trucks to roll onto a missile range, alongside some thirty other vehicles being sought.
You could be snarky about it being a good use for the Cybertruck, but the US Air Force sees the vehicle as a potential battlefield threat. It’s in good company — the Toyota Hilux has been the subject of several military retrofits, including one by Turkish company Roketsan that incorporates a Cirit 70 mm laser-guided missile launcher.
Cybertruck insight in sight
The US Air Force is all about discovering the extent of new technology, and this contract is no different. The Cybertruck is an attractive target, possibly by enemy military, because its “aggressively angular and futuristic design, paired with its unpainted stainless steel exoskeleton, sets it apart from competitors typically using painted steel or aluminum bodies.”
“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.”
These features could lead opposing forces to transition to Tesla’s vehicle for military purposes, “as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact.” That’s why the US Air Force’s AFTC is looking to blow at least two of them up. The vehicles, according to the redacted documents released online, don’t need to be in running order, but they should still be in rolling condition. They’ll have to be positioned on a testing range prior to their Viking funerals.
Tesla’s pickup may have already seen military service in countries outside the US. TWZ also found evidence of Cybertrucks in the Chechen Republic having been mounted with 12.7mm machine guns in 2024. That country’s head, Ramzan Kadyrov, later claimed that at least one of these vehicles was remotely disabled by Tesla. If remote shutdown doesn’t work, there’s always the AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missile, right?
