Overview

• The Air Force Test Center has issued a request for proposals to acquire two Tesla Cybertrucks and 31 other towable target vehicles for live-fire missile testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
• Contract documents require the Cybertrucks to arrive with intact bodies, windows and mirrors, drained batteries and no operational drivetrain to meet a formal sole-source justification.
• The vehicles will support U.S. Special Operations Command’s Stand Off Precision Guided Munitions program, validating weapons such as the AGM-114 Hellfire, Griffin missile and GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition.
• A February 2025 market study concluded there are no comparable vehicles to the Cybertruck’s unpainted stainless steel exoskeleton and 48V electrical architecture, prompting brand-specific procurement.
• The unusual buy reflects efforts to simulate potential adversaries deploying durable electric pickups in future conflicts and to test munitions against real-world threats.