militants shot down an IA-407 using a shoulder-fired ground-to-air missile, killing the pilot and co-pilot. In December 2017, more than 1,400 were operating. Variants Bell 407 A civil utility helicopter, a derivative of the Bell 206L-4. ARH-70 An upgraded 407 version to serve as an armed reconnaissance helicopter. Bell 417 Planned civil version of the ARH-70, was canceled. Bell 407 Light Observation Helicopter A military reconnaissance version. Eagle 407 HP Version from Eagle Copter (Alberta, Canada) with a more powerful Honeywell HTS900 engine, rated at . Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) version being developed by Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter as a cargo resupply demonstrator. The test aircraft flew on 10 December 2010 at the Yuma Proving Ground. In February 2011, the US Navy's budget request for 2012 included funds to buy 12 Fire-X helicopters under the designation MQ-8C. Bell 407AH An armed civil-certified version for use with government and security forces. Bell 407GX Version of the 407 that features the new Garmin G1000 H-model glass cockpit along with improved avionics and improved flight controls. Bell 407GT Armed version of the 407GX. Bell 407GXPMarketing designation for the 407 with Rolls-Royce 250-C47B/8 engine and Garmin G1000H avionics. Bell 407GXiMarketing designation for the 407 with Rolls-Royce 250-C47E/4 engine and Garmin G1000H NXi avionics. Operators The Bell 407 is in civil service around the world with airlines, corporations, hospitals, government operators, and private individuals. It is also in service with several military operators. Military Bangladesh Army Guatemalan Air Force Iraqi Army Jamaica Defence Force Mexican Air Force Nepalese Army Air Service National Aeronaval Service United Arab Emirates Air Force Accidents On June 4, 2022, Bell 407 GXP, N98ZA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairfield, New Jersey. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. Investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the tail rotor crosshead drive plate was not bolted to the tail rotor crosshead. The tail rotor had been installed the day before it was suspected that the bolts were not torqued. On June 8, 2022 a Bell 407 had an inflight separation of its tail boom while in cruise flight near Kalea, Hawaii. The pilot and two passengers sustained serious injuries, while three other passengers had minor injuries. The helicopter was substantially damaged during the crash. The US NTSB determined that the upper-left tail boom attachment hardware was not installed, leaving only