3 teams of five pilots were chosen by the CSN to participate in a simulated evaluation program of the five fighters, with the team succeeding in the graded tests going on to pilot the craft in real world scenarios.

On June 13th 2617, the ATAFs were taken to the Aster system on board Griffin, where Elliott Parks intended on putting them through their paces against the enemy forces. During the course of Operation Menelaus (and in the events proceeding it), the ATAFs were proven to out perform all other fighter craft on the field.

Additionally, their strong defensive capabilities were proven when an Imperial Sphinx fighter collided head-on with an ATAF piloted by Kelly Taylor. The Sphinx was destroyed, whilst the ATAF survived without even suffering lose of its shielding.

As well as their armaments, each ATAF was shown to be fitted with a cloaking device, enabling the fighter to be hidden from both visual and electronic detection. This feature was taken advantage of by the White Knights as they travelled through the Phylent system, to Arlos starport.

Simon Dodds raised concerns about the craft, believing it not to be the next generation of starfighter, but seemingly to have been built for a specific purpose. These views, however, were not shared by his wingmates.

The ATAFs were aboard Ifrit when the carrier was shot down over Mythos, in the Coyote system. The White Knights, the pilots, escaped before the ship went down and Christian Hail, the captain, sealed the five starfighters in the carrier's hold. Upon hearing that Ifrit had been lost, Elliott Parks and Amanda Jenkins made immediate plans to salvage them.

The ATAFs became one of the principle reasons for the CSN's need to get to the Coyote system as soon as possible. They were eventually salvaged from the bottom of the Tanis sea, after the CSN were able to get down onto the surface of Mythos, following a difficult battle with a significant Pandoran force around the planet.

Simon Dodds became suspicious of the true intentions of the ATAFs after the combined forces of the CSN, UNF, MTG and other members of the Coalition of Independent Armed Forces staged an intense battle to rescue Kelly Taylor and Enrique Todd from confinement (utilizing hundreds of soldiers and pieces of hardware, for the sake of just two people). Natalia Grace went on to reveal the true destiny of the ATAFs - to act as the main component in Operation Sudarberg, transporting the Tachyon Star Bombs to their designated targets.

The ATAF was ultimately designed as a delivery system, and not a starfighter (although it had been filed as one, in case the Pandoran army should gain wind as to their true purpose). Every aspect of the craft had been created and implemented with the end goal in mind: the cloaking system to protect it from enemy detection, whilst transporting the TSB; the overloaded weapons systems, to enable it to defend itself during the chance of an engagement; enhanced shielding systems, for extra defence. Jump drives, however, were not factored in, as the ATAF was not intended to survive the delivery (and neither was the pilot).