A new Israeli defense missile was advertised as a "LARD" missile instead of an LRAD missile across Israeli media after a typo in the Defense Ministry and IDF press release on Wednesday sowed confusion.
The Israeli security services had announced "For the first time, a 'LARD' long-range interceptor launched from a Sa'ar 6-class missile boat has successfully intercepted a target that resembled an advanced cruise missile," related a Hebrew announcement for a major milestone in Israel's maritime defense options.
A big fat mistake
Israeli media, likely unfamiliar with lard — a food product rendered from the fat of a pig — shared the interesting news as had been presented to them.
"What a LARD!" one news outlet proclaimed in a push notification, likely an attempt at a play on a common Israeli idiom, what a cannon, used to express admiration for one's excellence.
Many outlets have since realized the mistake and corrected it, but others still have not corrected the issue.
As of Thursday noon, the Israeli Navy still shared the news on its website with the headline "For the first time a successful 'LARD' interception was carried out."
Catching greased lightning in a bottle
Contrary to this headline, the military is not working to down flying pigs — Rather, the new interceptor launched from the Barak Magen system will be placed on naval vessels as a new tool to stop ballistic missiles, drones, cruise missiles, and coast-to-sea anti-ship missiles.
This will be key in defending vital maritime economic sites and resources that terrorist groups like Hezbollah would rather hog to themselves than let Israel access.
Israel Aerospace Industries, which worked on the interceptor expressed excitement at this advancement, but the mistake ensured the news would not be a boar for the general public.