Cybertrucks armed with additional armor and kitted out with machine weapons are right here.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the brutal dictator of Chechnya and outstanding Putin ally, has invited Elon Musk to go to him in Grozny. Kadyrov wrote the invitation in a Telegram post the place he praised the Cybertruck under a video of him driving the stainless-steel monstrosity round Chechen metropolis streets.
Kadyrov smiled like a baby whereas driving the Cybertruck. “We acquired a Tesla Cybertruck from the revered Elon Musk,” the publish stated. “I used to be happy to check the brand new know-how and was personally satisfied that it’s referred to as the ‘Cyberbeast’. An actual invulnerable and quick animal.”
The mattress of the Cybertruck was open and somebody had mounted a Russian PK machine gun within the mattress. Kadyrov stated the automotive was a dream to drive and that they might quickly ship it to his troopers. “I specific my honest gratitude to Elon Musk! He’s, in fact, the strongest genius of our time…a fantastic man!” He stated on Telegram.
Kadyrov stood behind the truck behind the machine gun, draped in a belt of bullets, grinning like a idiot. The barrel of the machine gun regarded like it will solely simply barely hearth over the arched roof of the automotive. Within the publish, Kadyrov prolonged his invitation. “I don’t suppose the Russian International Ministry would thoughts such a visit,” he stated. “And, in fact, we’re ready to your new developments that can assist us end our particular navy operation,” a reference to the “official” identify for Russia’s struggle in Ukraine.
Musk has lengthy been a critic of the West’s position within the struggle. He’s additionally made some huge cash from it. SpaceX is a major military contractor and its Starlink terminals are instrumental to the struggle. Kyiv makes use of greater than 42,000 of Musk’s Starlink terminals to maintain communications open and drones within the air and has stated Russian forces use them too.
It’s not clear the place Kadyrov received the Cybertruck and there’s no proof that Musk despatched it to him instantly, regardless of what the dictator implied in his Telegram publish. Including the PK was, presumably, an after-market modification.
These sorts of modifications are more and more fashionable for Cybertrucks. Cops love Cybertrucks and there’s a race between numerous departments throughout the nation to see who will deploy one first. However making a Cybertruck secure for navy operations requires some modification. Claims about their bulletproof nature are exaggerated.
You don’t must be a shopper state of Russia or a U.S. police division to get a Cybertruck kitted out for struggle. An organization referred to as Archimedes Protection is advertising simply such a service. Known as STING, the corporate is promising the service will improve Cybertrucks with “intensive modifications to swimsuit probably the most demanding purposes.”
Proper now, the up-armored Cybertrucks are extra a dream than a actuality. The location has a number of mock-ups of Cybertrucks sporting rugged wheels and additional armor plating. “STING™ is at the moment in lively growth with industry-leading EV modification and propulsion system companions,” its web site says. “On-road & civilian operation could also be topic to regulatory restrictions in your area.”
Archimedes Protection didn’t reply to Gizmodo’s request for remark.