Tesla Cybertrucks will be blown up by the US Air Force during training at White Sands
August 8, 2025
Finally, the Cybertruck has found a military application, but with a twist. The United States Air Force is testing the Cybertruck’s ability to withstand munitions, simulating scenarios where adversaries might use them.
US Air Force to blow up Tesla Cybertrucks
According to The War Zone, newly posted official documents online reveal that the US military is purchasing two Tesla Cybertrucks for target practice.
It added that Cybertrucks are among the 33 target vehicles the Air Force Test Centre is seeking to acquire for the Air Force to destroy at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico. TWZ said no name-brand requirements are listed for the other vehicles. The Cybertrucks don’t need to be operational, but need to be roll-towed behind another vehicle.
Elon Musk has previously touted that the Cybertruck is bulletproof and designed to “survive the apocalypse.” He even floated the idea that it could find a role in the military. Now it seems the Air Force wants to learn what to expect if adversaries do start driving them around.
According to the report, the US Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM) Stand Off Precision Guided Munitions (SOPGM) programme will use the vehicles for target practice and related training. Munitions used range from the AGM-114 Hellfire to the GBU-39B/B Laser Small Diameter Bomb (LSDB).
Even if Tesla’s EVs are not to go to war just yet, at least they have been to space. In 2018, Musk used his Tesla Roadster as a dummy payload for the first test flight of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, launching it into space.
When the Cybertruck almost went to war
In 2024, the warlord of Russia’s quasi-independent Islamic mountainous Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, posted a video of a Cybertruck with a machine gun mounted in the back. In the propaganda video, he said it performed well in combat and thanked Musk for donating it to him. He said he would send Cybertrucks to fight in Ukraine.
In one of the Strangest Videos I have seen in quite awhile; the Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov made a Post earlier today showing him driving a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a Mounted-Machine Gun somewhere in Chechnya. How the Cybertruck got to Chechnya or into the… pic.twitter.com/kySpDCiEvl
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 17, 2024
Musk denied he would ever donate a Cybertruck to a warlord. Soon after, CNN reported Kadyrov complaining Musk had “remotely disabled” the vehicle. Musk’s Starlink has played a pivotal role in aiding Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Tesla is estimated to have sold around 46,000 Cybertrucks by April 2025, making the vehicle a bit of a flop. The car is only for sale in North America, although some have been exported. While Musk had aimed for 500,000 annual Cybertruck sales, the vehicle has only sold at a rate of around 20,000 per year.
Elon Musk’s businesses are major US defence contractors
While the Cypertruck may not have been the warrior’s chariot Musk purported it to be, his various companies have become important military contractors.
The Air Force is currently looking at a potential military application for the upcoming Starship. While SpaceX wants to send it to Mars, the Air Force is considering using it for rapid point-to-point travel on Earth. It could have a function somewhat similar to a strategic airlifter.
SpaceX is set to play a key role in developing the upcoming Golden Dome air defence system that will include the integration of many space-based assets. SpaceX is one of the most important contractors for the US Space Force and is responsible for lifting many of its satellites and payloads into orbit.
