The armor-piercing rocket is a standard air-to-air munition. AP rockets are equipped with a long, sharp, reinforced nose, designed to slice through armor on impact. Their design limits the payload capacity, meaning that AP rockets are usually part of a mixed-weapon assault - attackers use AP rockets to strip away their target's armor, and then finish them with HE or flak rockets. At least thirty manufacturers in North America produce at least one model of AP rocket, although the DeBruin Company is the market leader.