As, they had a respectable amount of Dassault Mirage III and Mirage F.1, the Atlas Aviation company, using expertise gained from the aborted Israeli IAI Lavi fighter upgraded the main airframe of a Mirage III down to zero hours, fitted non-moving canards aft of the engine intakes, added two new wings store pylons at the wing roots, an aerial refuelling probe, new ejection seats, a new and more powerful engine (an upgraded SNECMA Atar 9k50C-11), a new main wing spar together with a new drooping leading edge and a dog-tooth incisition on each wing, modernized elevons controlled by a twin computer flight control system and strakes on the nose in order to improve the high angle of attack performance.
Just the aerodynamical improvements increased the performance of the aircraft by a respectable 15%, increased the angle of attack, reduced the minimum airspeed to 100kt and increased the maximum take-off weight by 700kg with the cost of a lost of a 5% in maximum level of speed and acceleration.
Additionaly a highly sophisticated avionics, radar, electronic warfare and self-protection suit was installed making the increase of the nose lengthness necessary. Missile and radar warning sensors were also installed as they were needed like electronic jammers, automatic chaff/flare dispensers, an integrated helmet mounted sight and oversized heads-up-display (HUD) an advanced pulse-doppler radar and sophisticated cockpit instrumentation.
It's suspected that Israel Aircraft Industries was involved at least initially and even some components were imported from Israel and even that some IAI Neshers were bought by South Africa for Cheetah trials and then absorbed into the existing fleet.
We are covering those conmemorative or special painted aircrafts, that were non combatant, leaving the combatant ones for the next post.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Cheetah
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of FIghters
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