More than 30 years old, Lacroix Group’s Artissoum signalling charges remain in demand: they equip every French-designed submarine, both in France and abroad. In fact, they are no longer referred to as “‘small charges’, but as ‘submarine signalling devices’ — Artissoum,” says Louis Boulle, Lacroix’s naval programme manager.

On French submarines, Artissoum charges are carried in baskets on the outside of the hull and fired vertically using compressed air. They can now also be launched from inside the submarine, hence the designation Artissoum In.

“The crew places the charges in a launch tube that passes through the hull. They are then ejected outwards using compressed air or pressurised water, and are launched one at a time,” explains Louis Boulle. “To ensure compatibility, we redesigned the interface components between the device and the launcher, adding a retaining disc with a diameter slightly larger than the device itself. We also adapted the safety mechanism so that it remains effective while the device is inside the launch tube.”

The Artissoum In is now compatible with foreign submarines, including those built by South Korea’s Daewoo and by TKMS. The only German submarine builder since World War II, TKMS supplies around 30 navies worldwide, including those of several NATO countries.