Draken International, the US based aerial adversary company, announced the acquisition of twelve former South African Air Force Atlas Cheetah aircraft on December 11, 2017. Draken will receive nine Cheetah C single seaters and three Cheetah D two seaters after overhaul and regeneration by South African defence firm Denel Aeronautics. It is planned that the fleet will be operational with Draken by mid 2018.

Draken currently operates A-4s, L-159s and MB-339s as adversary aircraft of the US Department of Defense. They have also recently acquired twenty two Dassault Mirage F.1Ms.

The Cheetah was retired from South African Air Force service in 2008 when it was replaced by the SAAB JAS-39 Gripen. The aircraft is a South African development of the Dassault Mirage III and the Israeli built IAI Kfir. It remains in operational service with the Ecuadorian Air Force.

South African AF 2 Squadron Atlas Cheetah C 342 (2002)