The attack helicopter is still a fairly new idea that has been introduced into the military. Since the advant of the first successful armed helicopter in the 50's, they now bristle with advanced optical and electronic equipment and carry a wide range of lethal weaponary, thus to support the ground troops. The attack helicopter, a soldier's best friend, is designed to fly low and destroy any heavy armour, which might pose a threat to the ground troops or AAA/SAMs which might pose a threat to the attacking aircraft. Today, there are not many military forces which use attack helicopters, but they do play an important role in in any conflict involving ground invasions.