What do missiles and toilets have in common? Both are on the United States Munitions List.

Zodiac Group apparently learned this the hard way. Zodiac, best known for its inflatable water craft, also makes toilets for boats and airplanes. According to this article in Defense News, Zodiac told the European Institute’s Transatlantic Roundtable on Defense and Security yesterday that it found out that a toilet might be on the USML when it tried to export toilets for use on military aircraft.

Now before we all get out our pitchforks and storm DDTC, let’s look at the situation a little more closely. The item apparently in question is the rather descriptively named Evac 90 Kandre. That product can be found here on the company’s website, which describes the toilet as follows:

Evac 90 Kandre, with shock and vibration proof design, has been developed for navy/military use. It is equipped with proven fully pneumatic Evac 900 mechanism with flush memory and vacuum sensor technology. For spare parts Evac grants a lifetime support. Evac 90, Kandre, has passed the MIL-SPEC 901D (Navy) Grade B, Class 1, Type A shock test.

Not even a close question here. That stainless steel “shock-proof” baby needs a license, and Zodiac shouldn’t have been surprised that it did.

UPDATE: A reader sends in an image of another toilet that is on the USML:

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