Miscellaneous News

FriedButter

Colonel
Registered Member
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

US State Department has budget line for ‘Armored Teslas’ worth $400 million​

The US State Department’s procurement forecast for the 2025 budget includes an item called “Armored Teslas” worth $400 million.

But worry not; it was approved under the Biden Administration, so Elon Musk’s DOGE will undoubtedly eliminate this waste. Right?

Elon Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are currently examining a large amount of US government spending.

It’s unclear if he got to the US State Department’s procurement forecast because there are a few interesting lines that would give auditors second thoughts.

The most interesting one is “Armored Tesla (Production Units)”, which is worth $400 million. Strangely, the item is listed under the NAICS code “311999 – All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing.”

The program has a target for delivery in Q4 through the next 5 years.

There are several other similar and strange budgeted items that are linked to the wrong categories:

You have “ARMORED SEDAN” under “Soft Drink Manufacturing,” “ARMORED BMW X5/X7” under “Bottled Water Manufacturing,” and finally, ARMORED EV (NOT SEDAN) under “Ice Manufacturing.”

However, all these other armored vehicle-related items are budgeted at a fraction of the $400 million for Tesla vehicles ($50 million, $40 million, and $40 million, respectively).

The State Department procurement forecast website mentions that the list was last updated in December – before Trump entered office.

Electrek has contacted the State Department for a comment, and we will update you if we get an answer.

Tesla has claimed that its Cybertruck is “armored” and “bulletproof”, but its armored capacity is quite limited. It can likely deflect low-velocity bullets if they hit the doors, but that’s about it.

Other companies have been planning to modify the Cybertruck with higher levels of armor, like the partnership between Unplugged Performance and Archimedes Defense – pictured above.

The dough is rolling in for Elon. From SpaceX getting their NASA/Gov contracts and now Tesla getting their MIC dough.
 

tamsen_ikard

Junior Member
Registered Member

if CPTPP experience tells me anything its that even if US steps back from its imperial ambitions, its vassals will keep going without US and support the western empire. I see no scenario where Ukraine accepts these terms at this moment. Even if US pulls out completely, stops all support for Ukraine, I expect the Europeans to double tripple their support of Ukraine with whatever weapons they have or at least with pretty much Unlimited money.

Europeans especially under establishment parties will degrade and die but they will not give up western empire, Ukraine and Nato. Even if they have to commit economic suicide for it. The likes of Kaja Kallas, Von der Leyen are fanatics. They even more pro-US than US itself. The only way this changes if EU breaks up into pieces due to overwhelming support for the far right parties. But that is not happening anytime soon. So Ukraine will keep fighting on and on.
 

Serb

Junior Member
Registered Member
All of this is a catastrophic strategic defeat and humiliation for the US, even worse than Biden's comical retreat from Afghanistan or the embarrassing failures against the Houthis, in the last few years.

Imagine throwing hundreds of billions of dollars, money, and weapons you don’t even have much yourself, straight from fiscal debt into a war that’s not only wrecked the European economy for three years but also left these most important vassals economically, industrially, and socio- politically weaker and more resentful for probably a very long time.

Meanwhile, Ukraine, also your so-called prized 'ally' up until just a few months ago, has suffered devastating biological losses, and after nearly a decade of 'investment' here, the entire project to weaken Russia has completely fallen apart, forcing you to abandon it entirely. The message this sends to other supposed 'allies' is nothing short of disastrous.

Even if upcoming negotiations between Russia and the US fall apart because the war still overwhelmingly benefits Putin, in all areas, who’s now in an undeniably dominant position, the fact that so many concessions and such language of weakness are already on the table, even before talks officially begin, is a glaring sign of humiliation and geopolitical decline, or maybe even urgency due to collapse, to the rest of the world.
 
Last edited:

Ringsword

Junior Member
Registered Member
Me about to take a round trip flight to Kazakhstan in 2 weeks
scared-nervous.gif


The instant there's turbulance:
4b9106d74f957c7a79893e831435772b.jpg
I wish you a safe and enjoyable trip.........however if the "unthinkable " happens can I have your golf clubs/tennis racquets and fishing gear??-I promise to take very good care of it/them. ;) Really though-have a good trip in every way.:)
 

Temstar

Brigadier
Registered Member
All of this is a catastrophic strategic defeat and humiliation for the US, even worse than Biden's comical retreat from Afghanistan or the embarrassing failures against the Houthis, in the last few years.

Imagine throwing hundreds of billions of dollars, money, and weapons you don’t even have much yourself, straight from fiscal debt into a war that’s not only wrecked the European economy for three years but also left these most important vassals economically, industrially, and socio- politically weaker and more resentful for probably a very long time.

Meanwhile, Ukraine, also your so-called prized 'ally' up until just a few months ago, has suffered devastating biological losses, and after nearly a decade of 'investment' here, the entire project to weaken Russia has completely fallen apart, forcing you to abandon it entirely. The message this sends to other supposed 'allies' is nothing short of disastrous.

Even if upcoming negotiations between Russia and the US fall apart because the war still overwhelmingly benefits Putin, in all areas, who’s now in an undeniably dominant position, the fact that so many concessions and such language of weakness are already on the table, even before talks officially begin, is a glaring sign of humiliation and geopolitical decline, or maybe even urgency due to collapse, to the rest of the world.
Depending on the level of pretending to be asleep DPP wants to apply in Taiwan backing down on Ukraine could have an effect across the strait too, to quote the phrase they often use "今日乌克兰,明日台湾"
 
Top