In 1990 a total of 10 Spartans were purchased as short-range cargo aircraft to support the US Army's Special Forces and were based at Howard AFB in Panama. Changes in priorities resulted in them being retired the aircraft in 1999. Several of them were taken over by the US Department of State and used to support foreign nations in their anti-drug operations, this one being latterly based at Patrick AFB, FL. The aircraft were retired again in 2013 and placed in storage at Davis Monthan.