Air Base. The role of the UH-1 is to be performed by recently delivered UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters instead; in January 2022, a deal to buy 32 new-build Black Hawks was announced. Rhodesia Very late in the Rhodesian Bush War, the Rhodesian Air Force obtained 11 former Israeli Agusta-Bell 205As in violation of sanctions on the nation, allegedly having used a series of intermediaries to evade them. Locally known as Cheetahs, these helicopters were returned to a flightworthy condition and then assigned to No. 8 Squadron, after which they participated in the counter-insurgency effort, usually functioning as armed gunships as well as troop transports. During September 1979, one Cheetah was lost in combat after being hit by an RPG while flying over Mozambique. At least another three other UH-1s were also lost. The surviving helicopters were put up for sale in 1990. Yemen In July 2009, Yemen received four UH-1Hs. These remained grounded for almost all the time they were in Yemen; at least one helicopter was heavily damaged during Saudi-led airstrikes on Al Daylami and Al Anad Air Bases. Variant overview U.S. military variants XH-40: The initial Bell 204 prototype. Three prototypes were built, equipped with the Lycoming XT-53-L-1 engine of . YH-40: Six aircraft for evaluation, as XH-40 with cabin stretch and other modifications. Bell Model 533: One YH-40BF rebuilt as a flight test bed with turbojet engines and wings. HU-1A: Initial Bell 204 production model, redesignated as the UH-1A in 1962. 182 built. TH-1A: UH-1A with dual controls and blind-flying instruments, 14 conversions. XH-1A: A single UH-1A was redesignated for grenade launcher testing in 1960. HU-1B: Upgraded HU-1A, various external and rotor improvements. Redesignated UH-1B in 1962. 1014 built plus four prototypes designated YUH-1B. NUH-1B: a single test aircraft, serial number 64–18261. UH-1C: The UH-1B gunship lacked the power necessary to carry weapons and ammunition and keep up with transport Hueys. So Bell designed yet another variant, the UH-1C, intended strictly for the gunship role. It is an UH-1B with improved engine, modified blades and rotor-head for better performance in the gunship role. 767 built. YUH-1D: Seven pre-production prototypes of the UH-1D. UH-1D Iroquois: Initial Bell 205 production model (long fuselage version of the 204). Designed as a troop carrier to replace the CH-34 then in US Army service. 2008 built; many later converted to UH-1H standard. HH-1D: Army crash rescue variant of UH-1D. UH-1E: UH-1B/C for