The U.S. Air Force has found a highly unconventional use for Tesla’s Cybertruck — as missile target practice. Two of the stainless-steel electric pickups will soon be delivered to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico, where they’ll be destroyed during live-fire exercises simulating real-world battlefield conditions.
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This move is part of a much larger procurement of 33 vehicles — a mix of sedans, pickups, light-duty “bongo” trucks, and SUVs — that will serve as targets in training for Standoff Precision Guided Munitions (SOPGM), the U.S. military’s program for hitting moving or mobile threats with absolute accuracy.

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Why the Cybertruck Was Selected Over Other Vehicles

Military procurement documents make it clear: this is about realism in future combat scenarios. The Air Force believes adversaries could deploy ruggedized civilian vehicles — and the Cybertruck, with its ultra-hard stainless-steel exoskeleton, unusual geometry, and electric drivetrain, fits that threat profile.

Tests and field reports have shown that the Cybertruck’s body can sustain less damage than conventional aluminum or steel truck bodies under high-impact conditions. That makes it a tougher target, and one that could potentially survive attacks that would destroy standard vehicles.

The Air Force’s sole-source justification — required because only Tesla makes the Cybertruck — notes three unique factors that no other truck currently offers:
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1. Stainless-steel exoskeleton – providing extreme rigidity and dent resistance.
2. Aggressive angular design – altering impact and projectile deflection compared to conventional shapes.
3. 48-volt electrical system – more advanced than the 12-volt systems still used in most vehicles, potentially powering onboard weapons or advanced electronics in a combat scenario.

These features, the Air Force concluded, make the Cybertruck a potential real-world battlefield threat that the U.S. military needs to train against today — not after an adversary starts using them.

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The SOCOM Weapons That Will Be Used Against Cybertrucks

The two Cybertrucks will be tested under the SOCOM SOPGM program, which trains U.S. Special Operations Forces to strike fast-moving, unpredictable, or hardened vehicle targets with minimal collateral damage. Weapons in the program include:
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• AGM-114 Hellfire – a combat-proven, laser-guided missile used extensively in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.
• AGM-176 Griffin – a smaller, more precise missile designed for use from aircraft or ground launchers in urban or tight terrain.
• GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition – a GPS/INS-guided bomb with a standoff range of over 20 miles.
• GBU-39B/B Laser Small Diameter Bomb – a high-precision, low-yield weapon optimized for destroying vehicle-sized threats without unnecessary destruction to surroundings.
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By testing these weapons against Cybertrucks and other civilian vehicles, the military can collect real damage profiles and fine-tune both tactics and munition settings.

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The Full Target Fleet Beyond Cybertruck

While the Cybertruck is the star of the procurement, it’s only 2 of the 33 vehicles ordered. The rest of the fleet includes:
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• Sedans – generic passenger cars to simulate soft-skinned civilian or insurgent transport.
• Bongo light trucks – small cab-over cargo trucks common in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
• Pickup trucks – representing the “technical” platforms often used in guerrilla warfare with mounted weapons.
• SUVs – larger, off-road capable targets simulating both civilian and paramilitary use.
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No other makes or models were specified — only the Cybertruck was named outright. All vehicles must be intact externally, with wheels, windows, and mirrors in place, but they don’t need to be functional. Many will be non-operational units bought at a lower cost, towed into position for testing.

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Cybertruck’s Civilian Market Struggles

While the Air Force is preparing to destroy Cybertrucks in the desert, Tesla is facing a very different challenge: slowing sales and growing inventory.
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• Q2 2025 deliveries: Just 4,306 units, down 51% from the previous quarter.
• Competitors outperforming: Ford’s F-150 Lightning sold 5,842 units in the same period, while GM’s Hummer EV hit 4,508.
• Annualized sales: Running at about 20,000 units, far short of Elon Musk’s original target of 250,000 per year.
• Unsold inventory: Nearly $200 million worth of Cybertrucks reportedly sitting on lots across the U.S.
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Pricing and reliability have played major roles. The launch price of $60,990 was already much higher than the promised $39,900. In just 14 months, the truck has been hit with eight recalls — from faulty accelerator pedals to loose trim — shaking buyer confidence.

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For the Air Force, the logic is straightforward: train for the threats you might face, not just the ones you’ve already seen. For Tesla, it’s an ironic twist — while consumer demand softens, a handful of Cybertrucks will be serving a different purpose entirely: helping U.S. special forces prepare for future warfare against unconventional threats.

It’s a rare crossover where commercial technology meets military readiness — and one where the goal isn’t to keep the product running, but to see exactly how to destroy it.