The U.S. Air Force acquired two Tesla Cybertrucks in August 2025 for one purpose: to destroy them with precision-guided missiles.
Contract documents filed to the System for Award Management show the Air Force Test Center purchased the electric trucks for $80,000 each as part of a 33-vehicle order destined for weapons testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. What makes this procurement unusual is that Cybertrucks are the only vehicles specified by brand name.
Military planners believe adversaries could deploy these trucks in combat zones. The Air Force wants to know what it takes to eliminate them.
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Defense Department Singles Out Cybertruck Design
A February 2025 market analysis commissioned by the Air Force found no comparable vehicles on the commercial market. The assessment cited three factors:
The stainless steel exoskeleton uses the same alloy found in SpaceX rockets. Standard vehicles use painted steel or aluminum bodies. The Cybertruck’s angular geometry differs from curved automotive design. Its 48-volt electrical system delivers higher power output than the 12-volt architecture in most vehicles.
According to military documents, testing personnel observed that Cybertrucks “have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact.”
The trucks don’t need to function. They require intact bodies, glass, and wheels for towing into firing positions. Air Force weapon systems including Hellfire missiles, laser-guided bombs, and Small Glide Munitions will be used during live-fire exercises supporting U.S. Special Operations Command training programs.
Battlefield Evidence Drives Military Interest
The Cybertruck’s appearance in conflict zones influenced procurement decisions.
Chechen military commander Ramzan Kadyrov posted video in September 2024 showing machine gun-mounted Cybertrucks, claiming he deployed them in Ukraine. Several defense contractors now manufacture armored Cybertruck variants. Unplugged Performance partnered with Archimedes Defense to produce models marketed to law enforcement and military customers.
Tesla’s vehicle demonstrated bullet resistance against subsonic pistol rounds during public testing. The company markets Cybertrucks exclusively in North America but announced expansion to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar in 2025.
Sales data shows 4,306 units sold in Q2 2025, down 51% from the previous quarter. Eight recalls occurred within 14 months of production. The disconnect between commercial performance and military attention reflects defense procurement priorities centered on durability rather than market success.
Tech Sector Captures Growing Defense Budget Share
This purchase represents a fraction of expanding Pentagon relationships with technology companies.
Defense contracts with private firms reached $445 billion in fiscal 2024, accounting for 59% of the Department of Defense’s $755 billion total obligation, according to Government Accountability Office data.
SpaceX holds $22 billion in contracts for launch services and Starlink satellite communications supporting military operations. Palantir secured a 10-year, $10 billion software agreement. Pentagon agencies are evaluating artificial intelligence systems from Meta, Google, and OpenAI.
Gordon Adams, who researches defense spending at American University’s School of International Service, told Fortune in August 2025 that the Cybertruck procurement “symbolizes the evolving relationship between the Pentagon and Big Tech.”
Adams noted that while a single vehicle purchase carries limited significance, it reflects how “the ballooning demand from the military for technology creates a whole new sector” accessible to major tech companies.
Military Doctrine Shifts Toward Commercial Technology
Special Operations Command conducts regular airstrikes on vehicle convoys across the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa. The same weapon systems tested at White Sands have been deployed against ISIS commanders and militant networks.
Military doctrine requires training that replicates actual combat conditions. As commercial vehicles enter conflict zones through irregular forces and non-state actors, defense planners adapt their testing protocols.
The Air Force’s February 2025 assessment stated: “In the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cybertrucks.”
Whether that scenario materializes remains uncertain. But the Pentagon is allocating resources to prepare for it, betting that consumer technology will continue shaping modern warfare in ways defense contractors haven’t anticipated.
