Latest news with #targetpractice
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Air Force wants to buy Tesla Cybertrucks to blow up for target practice, report says
The Air Force is looking to buy Tesla Cybertrucks to blow up for target practice. The service was looking to buy two Cybertrucks to use as targets for precision-guided munitions, citing concerns that enemies may soon start to use them on the battlefield, according to federal contracting documents shared online. The Cybertrucks - made by Elon Musk's Tesla - are among 33 target vehicles that the Air Force Test Center is ordering for 'live missile fire testing' at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. There are no other name-brand requirements for the other vehicles on the training center's shopping list, which also includes sedans, bongo trucks, pickup trucks and SUVs. According to the contract, the two Cybertrucks had to be towable, but not functional, and have all fluids drained before their delivery. The news of the request for Cybertrucks was first published by The War Zone. In a document detailing why the Tesla vehicles were specifically needed, the contract noted it was 'likely' that U.S. adversaries may start to use Cybertrucks on the battlefield. '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,' the document says. Musk, the Tesla CEO, claimed the Cybertruck was 'apocalypse proof' when he first launched the vehicle in 2023, but it was not immediately clear if the company would do anything to prevent the vehicles from getting into the hands of US enemies. Tesla and the US Air Force did not immediately return requests for comment from The Independent. News of the Air Force looking to conduct target practice on Cybertrucks comes two months after tech boss Musk and his longtime ally, President Donald Trump, had a very messy, public falling out. After Musk's time leading the Department of Government Efficiency came to a close in May, the two powerful men got into a very public fight that concluded with Musk issuing a grovelling apology, only to blow up again weeks later. After staging a farewell press conference in the Oval Office, Musk and Trump's relationship took a turn for the worst when Musk began to publicly criticize Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Trump went on to claim that Musk was 'wearing thin,' as the two men traded blows on their respective social media platforms. The brawl eventually concluded with Musk posting, without evidence, 'Time to drop the really big bomb. @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!' He later deleted the post. Solve the daily Crossword
Top Gear
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
The US Air Force wants Bongos and Tesla Cybertrucks… for target practice
Electric In today's 'you couldn't make it up' news comes this Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading The United States Air Force wants 33 vehicles so it can test its 'Standoff Precision Guided Munition'. Basically, it wants a load of cars it can safely blow up for target practice. Only, among that load of cars it can safely blow up for target practice, the United States Air Force has specifically – and rather hilariously – called out two models it wants in particular: Mazda's glorious Bongo, and the Tesla Cybertruck. Advertisement - Page continues below Yes, the US Air Force wants to use the Tesla Cybertruck as target practice. Why? Because, as the documentation states, 'in the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cybertrucks as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact'. You might like And lo, 'testing needs to mirror real world situations'. Explaining why only Tesla's pointy electric leviathan was singled out, the USAF said it undertook market research earlier this year and found the Cybertruck's 'aggressively angular and futuristic design, paired with its unpainted stainless steel exoskeleton, sets it apart from competitors using painted steel or aluminium bodies'. Basically, there's nothing else quite like it. Advertisement - Page continues below It did note that it doesn't mind a little 'bumper damage' on the Cybertrucks to be supplied, but it does require the removal of the car's giant battery prior to being blown into oblivion. Other cars the USAF wants as part of the 33 cars include saloons, SUVs, and regular pickups. Why the Bongo trucks, though? Looking for more from the USA? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Man shot in the leg while driving on Interstate 35 north of Twin Cities
A man is recovering after being shot in the leg while driving on Interstate 35 north of the Twin Cities on Thursday morning. A passenger in the vehicle called 911 around 10:40 a.m., saying a bullet entered the car through the driver's side door, hitting the driver's leg. They had been traveling southbound on I-35 near the Harris exit, about 50 miles north of Minneapolis. Deputies arrived in the area and reported hearing gunfire consistent with rifle target shooting. Authorities began to canvas the area on foot and by drone to pinpoint the source of the gunfire. Law enforcement located three men doing target practice on a private property along I-35. The target had been positioned in the direction of the roadway, according to the sheriff's office. The three men are cooperating with law enforcement. Authorities say the estimated distance between where the men had been shooting and where the victim was shot is over 1,500 feet. The victim, a 48-year-old man from Duluth, Minnesota, suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening. He was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for treatment. The other three occupants of the vehicle were uninjured. The incident remains under investigation by the Chisago County Sheriff's Office along with the Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
CNET
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CNET
The Tesla Cybertruck May Have Found Its True Calling: Target Practice
Table of Contents The Tesla Cybertruck May Have Found Its True Calling: Target Practice Few vehicles inspire stronger opinions than the Tesla Cybertruck. Drivers and passersby either love or hate the shiny, sharp-angled truck, many of which have been vandalized and even shot with paintball guns, perhaps as a reaction against Tesla CEO and former Trump Administration staffer Elon Musk. So this one's for you, Cybertruck haters: The U.S. Air Force recently had 33 vehicles -- including two Cybertrucks -- delivered to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, with plans to shoot them up. Documents first spotted by TWZ show that the Air Force is looking to test the durability of the Cybertruck, given its unique makeup and features, for target-vehicle training test events. Read more: Every Tesla Cybertruck Recall Since the Vehicle Was Released Ever since the Cybertruck was announced, Tesla has touted it as difficult to damage. Musk called the vehicle "bulletproof," and said it would survive an apocalypse. In an infamous 2019 launch event, Musk challenged a colleague to throw steel balls at the truck's windows, saying they wouldn't break. They did. The Cybertruck performed better in later tests. In 2024, Tesla posted a YouTube video where the truck held up to gunfire from a tommy gun, pistol and shotgun. Because of the Cybertruck's tough outer structure, made of a proprietary stainless steel alloy, there's an expectation that the vehicles could be used by an enemy. Air Force documents note that the truck "does not receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact." And that expectation is backed up by some evidence. In 2024, Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Russian Republic of Chechnya posted a video of a Cybertruck with a machine-gun mounted on it, saying it had been sent to the front lines of Russia's war in Ukraine. The planned military tests will mirror these potential real-world situations in a live-fire test. We don't know exactly what weapons the Air Force plans to turn on the Cybertrucks, but probably everything they've got that can make a dent in them. Read more: Cybertruck Recall Hits 46K Vehicles Thanks to a Glue Failure Cybertrucks are just two of the vehicles selected, and other vehicles chosen for testing include pickup trucks, SUVs and sedans. But only the Cybertrucks were called out specifically by model and maker name.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Air Force wants to buy Tesla Cybertrucks to blow up for target practice, report says
The Air Force is looking to buy Tesla Cybertrucks to blow up for target practice. The service was looking to buy two Cybertrucks to use as targets for precision-guided munitions, citing concerns that enemies may soon start to use them on the battlefield, according to federal contracting documents shared online. The Cybertrucks - made by Elon Musk's Tesla - are among 33 target vehicles that the Air Force Test Center is ordering for 'live missile fire testing' at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. There are no other name-brand requirements for the other vehicles on the training center's shopping list, which also includes sedans, bongo trucks, pickup trucks and SUVs. According to the contract, the two Cybertrucks had to be towable, but not functional, and have all fluids drained before their delivery. The news of the request for Cybertrucks was first published by The War Zone. In a document detailing why the Tesla vehicles were specifically needed, the contract noted it was 'likely' that U.S. adversaries may start to use Cybertrucks on the battlefield. '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,' the document says. Musk, the Tesla CEO, claimed the Cybertruck was 'apocalypse proof' when he first launched the vehicle in 2023, but it was not immediately clear if the company would do anything to prevent the vehicles from getting into the hands of US enemies. Tesla and the US Air Force did not immediately return requests for comment from The Independent. News of the Air Force looking to conduct target practice on Cybertrucks comes two months after tech boss Musk and his longtime ally, President Donald Trump, had a very messy, public falling out. After Musk's time leading the Department of Government Efficiency came to a close in May, the two powerful men got into a very public fight that concluded with Musk issuing a grovelling apology, only to blow up again weeks later. After staging a farewell press conference in the Oval Office, Musk and Trump's relationship took a turn for the worst when Musk began to publicly criticize Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Trump went on to claim that Musk was 'wearing thin,' as the two men traded blows on their respective social media platforms. The brawl eventually concluded with Musk posting, without evidence, 'Time to drop the really big bomb. @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!' He later deleted the post.
