US military is buying Tesla Cybertrucks to use as targets for missiles

I could write "all they're good for" as a joke. But it seems to be really what they're all good for, so I won't do that. Tesla must be the most pathetic company since Enron.

you must be fucking kidding me...

Calls then!! More sales and good news. Should account for 10% up today! 🫡

And sales are up!

At what cost? This needs to be investigated if they're paying retail or close to retail price. And what do they do with all the contaminated debris?

That's like 30% of their monthly sales!

From the article - """It sounds like the justification is that the US military believes that its enemies might start using the Tesla Cybertruck, and it wants to make sure its weapons work on it.""" I dunno, couldn't you just have a couple of marines piss on one?

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Selling two cybertrucks should give a nice bump to the July numbers.

The Venn diagram of a terrorist incel and a Musk-dickrider-incel apparently has a cybertruck in the middle.

Like if we still have missiles that can't blown that swastikar up then we truly have wasted billions on the military industrial complex.

I’m ok with this. And then the results must be posted online to show that they are not indestructible.

The form reads like it was filled out by the "particular individual" police officers from Idiocracy.

It’s two vehicles. I think the cost of investigation would be higher than the price of these two even if bought at list price.

Lol. Yeah it’s a blatant kickback with government money but do we really want to spend any time at all investigating this quarter million dollar misuse of government funds?

Retail price? They are paying at least 2-3x more than that if not more! These guys didn’t become billionaires by being stingy with other people’s money!

“They need to make sure their weapons work on one”.   Um, these fucking things can’t even come close to stopping an AR-15 bullet, it’s been proven repeatedly by idiotic streamers.   I’m pretty sure the US military has more powerful weapons than something you can buy at Bass Pro Shops.

The military is wasting money? I’m shocked! Outraged! Also even list price is about 65k$ for a garbage truck. That’s 130k, not 250.

We are officially in idiocracy

I really hope they release these files in particular

Theranos is back!

Why did they buy them at all is my question

This will be the trump admin forcing the military to buy X,000 cybertrucks as part of the gift with Elon Some officer has then been tasked to find a use for these things and has come up with their best military purpose

Totally valid question. The answer is given in the article and it is … kind of stupid. They want to test how weapons fare against different kinds of vehicles and the claims the CT would be especially ‚resistant‘. So if some dork terror group chose CT instead of Toyota trucks …

> In the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact. Yeah, insurgents are going to start using the most fragile, overpriced hunk of junk on the market.

🤣🤣

Do they have no engineers? Do they not know what the Cybertruck is made from? This is total corruption.

There is absolutely no need to test missiles on them

Don’t attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. I bet that a lot of people told them it is waste and they bought it anyway. If it was corruption you’d see way more than 2 vehicles bought.

Even The Onion could not make this shit up.

Shohei Ohtani could destroy one with a tennis ball.

Nice, going full Russian. 10$ says the vehicles will be “decommissioned” for being an inappropriate test subject and put to street use somewhere after testing is done? Possibly by someone involved in the procurement?

Considering all the junked cyber trucks with wheels falling off etc they should be able to find a couple cheap ones at the salvage yard.

Two things to take away from this:  1) the grift never stops and now US taxpayers is on the hook for Elon's hubris.  2) cybertrucks can now be marketed as "MilSpec" which the target demographic will swoon over.

They could have bought garbage dumpster, waaaaaaay cheaper and looks the same

Would have assumed they wanted to account for unexpected behaviour in their tests.

Well, you never know til you try, other cars are made to be crumpled so small missile would easily penetrate and explode inside. CT would be more impervious to penetration due to metal oanel and I can understand purchasing a few to test it out The legit questions would be how many and what's the price

These are very heavy vehicles that accelerate insanely fast. Uses trucks as a weapon of murder and terror just through acceleration is kind of a thing now. New Orleans, Nice, Waukesha, Magdeberg etc. I assume there will be some geofencing solution for walkable areas where vehicles are not admitted in the not too distant future that would make the Cybertruck as terrible of a choice for terror as everything else save accelerating really fast from a stoplight to the speed limit in a straight line.

Maybe they want to see how much EV's go BOOM?

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At the same time with autopilot, it can become a unoccupied moving target. Still stupid but it wont be the first waste and fraud of the Trump era.

That is the July numbers.

Did you not read the article? They're buying 33 vehicles to test munitions against. 2 of them just happen to be cybertrucks. This isn't like them buying 100 just to appease fElon.

I wonder if they get a fleet discount for ... checks notes ... two! 🤣

Because it's guided missiles, maybe they have a slight concern that the material and angles could affect the guided part 🤷‍♂️ All I ask is that they publish the footage so we can all enjoy.

To test whether their weapons can blow one up

It's a car with thin non hardened stainless steel pieces badly glued to an aluminum frame. Why didnt the army just make a mockup with some stainless steel sheets of the same thickness, what is it, 3 millimetres?

As shocking as this might seem, this actually appears to not be corruption/grift related. One task might be to figure out the secondary explosion radius when they use non-explosive payloads like the [AGM-114 r9x (aka ginsu bomb)](https://osmp.ngo/model/agm-114r9x-hellfire/) on the thing.

> Well, you never know til you try, other cars are made to be crumpled so small missile would easily penetrate and explode inside. CT would be more impervious to penetration due to metal oanel and I can understand purchasing a few to test it out The difference between a well design and manufactured vehicle and a CyberTruck to a missile is exactly zero. >The legit questions would be how many and what's the price The how many is clearly written in the article. The price is too much, but that's because it's military purchasing, not specifically because of Musk corruption.

> As shocking as this might seem, this actually appears to not be corruption/grift related. Sure it is, it's the only vehicle make listed by name. > One task might be to figure out the secondary explosion radius when they use non-explosive payloads like the AGM-114 r9x (aka ginsu bomb) on the thing. I assume you mean because of it's battery pack? The response will be based on pack size, not anything specific to the CyberTruck.

Judging from the comments, nobody thinks Tesla could dump excess CT inventory into Asia somewhere, only to see them later show up in the hands of some US adversary met on a battlefield. Nooo, Tesla would never try to get these money losers off its books. /s

F35 versus Cybertruck. Which infamous over-hyped symbol of unbridled greed and inhumanity will win? >!F35 will probably win!<

> In the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact. Correct. They receive much more damage than your standard vehicle. And how can you say likely and may in the same sentence? Don’t they cancel each other out?

You're joking but you're not wrong :(

>The difference between a well design and manufactured vehicle and a CyberTruck to a missile is exactly zero. You don't know that. There are many missile types. Antitank type for sure will have zero difference but I could also see a test with low yield, low tech one. Questions like how many direct impact or indirect impact needed to render the vehicle inoperable is a very real test case. this is a legit justification to test things out first, instead of finding out during real life operation that CT need 2 explosives instead of 1 to render inoperable. >The how many is clearly written in the article. The price is too much, but that's because it's military purchasing, not specifically because of Musk corruption. I don't see you complaining about the other 31 vehicles purchased for similar test. As much as I also don't like Musk, CT is using different design paradigm and conventionally stronger materials compared to other cars, and that justify iit being specifically requested

>The difference between a well design and manufactured vehicle and a CyberTruck to a missile is exactly zero. You don't know that. There are many missile types. Antitank type for sure will have zero difference but I could also see a test with low yield, low tech one. Questions like how many direct impact or indirect impact needed to render the vehicle inoperable is a very real test case. this is a legit justification to test things out first, instead of finding out during real life operation that CT need 2 explosives instead of 1 to render inoperable.

That’s about all those ugly pos are good for lol

>\[Redacted\] intends to use 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 as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact. 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. This is total bullshit, there's nothing "strong" about Cybertrucks on impact, they fold like tin foil. They're built like shit and we all know that. So why is the military hyping them up like this? They're literally just putting out an advertisement for Elon. I have no doubt that he had something to do with this. "Hey, maybe if the military can request a couple of Cybertrucks for tests based on them being so strong, people might have second thoughts and buy one." No other reason for doing this. Someone in the military is doing a favor for Elon Musk. End of story. More lies and scandal, more shit to unpack and prosecute once we finally get these fascists out of office.

It's all promotion for Elon. They're trying to promote the idea that Cybertrucks are "strong" so that morons will buy them. This is a deal or some kind of blackmail between Elon and someone in the military.

>The difference between a well design and manufactured vehicle and a CyberTruck to a missile is exactly zero. Absolutely right, any distinction is meaningless

Well they said waste fraud and abuse. So probably double or triple msrp.

Umm… are they even available elsewhere in the world? What “theatre” exactly is the AF planning to fight in?

Yes, and the new owner wants EHN pardoned https://theranoslabs.com/?gad_source=2&gad_campaignid=22533929937&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkvy2-OrujgMVmaZaBR0_KBF7EAAYASAAEgKiO_D_BwE

Misleading headline. >The U.S. Air Force is looking to purchase two Tesla Cybertrucks and use them for what amounts to target practice. Two. There are thousands of the worthless beasts, if not tens of thousands at this point. This is the equivalent of saying "Boy drains the Pacific Ocean with his bucket."

I'm certain there are cheaper places to get wheeled dumpsters to blow up.

I like the cut of this ‘US military’ person’s jib.

Hey, why not pay 100k per fragile and stupid target. Sure, it’s just money! Jesus wept.

/r/nottheonion

This is Trump legally injecting money into Tesla and Musk will be obedient and quiet in return.

> In the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact.  This has to be a psy-op to trick the enemy into using Cybertrucks.

Wouldn't it be easier to park a few Cybertrucks next to the next Starship launch?

While this is a a decent argument, they could just weld up a shell using the same sheet metal thickness and assemble the pieces with the same angles as the genuine body's design....for less than a thousand bucks

I can tell you for most types of vehicles for common drones in real world by just looking at videos from Ukraine. tldr, it sucks to be sitting in those vehicles

Let me guess, Tesla is charging $350,000 for each vehicle and the taxpayers are paying.

> You don't know that. A personal vehicle is a soft target, not an armored vehicle. They could drop a simple hand grenade from a drone and kill everyone inside (just as the Ukrainians have done a thousand times). > I don't see you complaining about the other 31 vehicles purchased for similar test. None of those were written into the spec, were they? >As much as I also don't like Musk, CT is using different design paradigm and conventionally stronger materials compared to other cars "Conventionally stronger materials"? Lol, that's hilarious. A stiff breeze will depanel the thing. You drink way too much Tesla Kool-aid.

Need a bigger target.

No, the exoskeleton panels are actually structural and load bearing . That's why they want to test them.

Honestly, they're probably just really easy to convert to remote control and there's plenty of stale inventory gathering dust.

Unless one takes into account of the real world application and mission constraints. Some missions required low yield munitions to minimize collateral damage. Some missions required horizontal impact vs top down. Some missions require a kinetic kills vs high explosive. The SS body panels is both thicker and stronger than mild steel body panels. So what is the minimum explosive yield required to immobilize the vehicle, what is the minimum required to achieve occupant kill is extremely important. Sometimes the military only has 1 chance to get it right.

They could probably build a road that is just a circular loop and have the cybertruck drive in circles on autopilot. its not good enough to navigate real world but its probably good enough to just drive in circles all day w/out a driver. then they could use it for target practice for moving cars lol

What a waste of a good battery in an ugly shell

The US military wants their enemies to use the cybertruck, if we're being honest. What better way to get at your enemies then if their trucks just stop working.

agreed

“enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact.” It’s more. It’s more damage.

This is good for $TSLA

You think it can navigate something as complicated as a circle?

You can get a fishing boat at Bass Pro and hook it to the trailer hitch of the IncelCamino and disable it that way.

I can think of a whole army Volkswagen and Audi vehicles in the Mojave desert that could be used to this same intent.

Pretty much all they are good for

U know military is buying cybertruck because they're concerned about its bulletproof capabilities. They aren't buying a Toyota Corolla cuz they already know it's not bulletproof.

To be fair, she committed less fraud than Elon or Trump

What a load of crap.

It’s just two cybertrucks

This is probably a big part of the concern. What if someone converted a Cybertruck (or some other vehicle) to remote control (i.e. made it a drone), put a big bomb in the back, and drove it at US troops? What weapon would they need to stop it? Or would it be more effective to run away (um, I mean, make a strategic relocation of forces). After all the problems with IEDs in Iraq, it makes sense for the military to consider how to deal with non-conventional weapons. Yeah, a Toyota Hilux would probably be a lot more dangerous, but no harm testing the Cybertruck too.

And we already know these shit boxes are far from bulletproof too

Lmao you do standard armored vehicles are far more bulletproof than cybertruck, you can get bullet proof armor for your luxury vehicle  that has higher protection than cybertruck

Have you read the US Air Force report that article is based off? Seems like the US military is pretty concerned about this. "In the operating theater it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cybertrucks as they have been Found not to recieve the normal extend of damage expected upon major impact " [report ](https://share.google/iQsHBshpeohahYyBe)

Exactly. No need for an actual functioning vehicle.

OK maybe it's worth it if they publish it being blown apart

Seriously? I am now picturing a bunch of terrorists at the supercharger.

Finally a purpose for cyber trucks

I was convinced they would become fleet vehicles for different federal departments, but having them become target practice shows just how ass these cars are.

Saw that too. What fucking insanity. Yeah I’m sure Abdul in Yemen is going to chose a cybertruck over a Toyota hilux.

It’s nice when things work out.

That's what we've been told... hopefully you don't take everything you hear at face value.

I heard the Tesla cyber trucks tanked in sales, so the Trump administration is helping Elon Musk out by buying them. If that's true, hopefully Trump got them cheap since taxpayers are footing the bill for these normally expensive vehicles.

Abdul in Iraq litterally stole a Plumbers toyota truck from texas, loaded it onto a boat and then left the dudes phone number painted on the side and fought in a pitched battle with it. You act like stealing crap is impossible. you act like scenarios where X small country wants to make a purchase of vehicles for its own police/paramilitary force wont get its shit stolen/sold to 3rd party forces and make its way all the way to an enemy unit. You ARE aware that ww1 era FT-Renault tanks were actively still being used by the Taliban in Afghanistan right? you ARE aware that any piece of equipment can be used in a military or para military role right?