France has unveiled a sophisticated disinformation campaign targeting India's procurement of 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets, exposing forged documents aimed at sowing confusion over this pivotal defence deal.

The French government agency Viginum, tasked with identifying foreign digital interference, has detailed a series of fabricated letters designed to undermine the multi-billion-pound agreement.

This malicious operation first surfaced through a report in the French satirical weekly Le Canard enchaîné, highlighting the gravity of the interference.

The campaign ignited on 25 November 2025, when a forged letter appeared on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Posted by an account masquerading as a Pakistani digital communications expert, the document falsely bore the signature of Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation.

It alleged significant delays in delivering the Rafale-Marine jets, destined to bolster the air wing of India's indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. The forgery further claimed that Indian pilots would need a compulsory ten-week training program in New Delhi prior to handover, fabricating administrative obstacles.

The disinformation intensified the next day, on 26 November, with a second fake letter circulating from a pro-Pakistani account. This document, also purporting to be from Trappier, urged Indian authorities to probe the "leak" of the initial letter, thereby lending false credibility to the narrative of internal discord.

A third provocation emerged on 8 December, featuring a forged letter attributed to India's External Affairs Minister.

This fabrication levelled sharp criticism at the French ambassador in New Delhi over the supposed delays, escalating the diplomatic pretence.

Dassault Aviation, when queried by French media, opted for silence on the specifics, stating it would not amplify the disinformation's reach.

This approach signals a tactical shift from the firm's earlier practice of issuing robust denials against comparable rumours.

Such digital meddling is far from isolated; it echoes prior incidents targeting Franco-Indian defence ties.

In May 2025, amid India's "Operation Sindoor" aerial engagements, nearly 1,000 fake social media accounts unleashed manipulated videos and images.

These posts deceitfully asserted that Pakistani forces, leveraging Chinese hardware, had downed three Indian Rafale jets.

Intelligence evaluations, including those from the United States, have linked these efforts to broader aims of eroding trust in French defence exports.

Such campaigns often seek to elevate rival platforms, particularly those from competing manufacturers.

The timing of this latest operation proves telling, aligning with India's firm resolve to acquire the Rafale-Marine for naval aviation enhancement. This deal fortifies India's carrier strike capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, a region of escalating strategic rivalry.

As hybrid warfare evolves, public perception emerges as a prime battleground, rendering defence procurements acutely vulnerable.

Viginum's disclosures emphasise the imperative for heightened vigilance to safeguard critical partnerships like the Franco-Indian collaboration.

India's pursuit of the 26 Rafale-Marine jets represents a cornerstone of its naval modernisation under the "Make in India" initiative.

These twin-engine, carrier-based fighters promise advanced avionics, stealth features, and multi-role versatility, integrating seamlessly with INS Vikrant's operations.

The procurement, valued at over £5 billion, underscores deepening Franco-Indian defence cooperation amid global supply chain shifts.

Previous disinformation waves, such as those post-Operation Sindoor, similarly aimed to discredit Rafale performance, drawing on manipulated footage of unrelated incidents. US intelligence has flagged state-linked actors, often from adversarial nations, as orchestrators of these influence operations.

Pakistan's digital ecosystem, rife with pro-establishment accounts, frequently amplifies anti-India narratives on platforms like X.

Chinese-origin hardware claims in prior campaigns serve dual purposes: promoting Beijing's exports while questioning Western reliability.

France's Viginum, formerly VIGINUM, specialises in countering cyber threats and information manipulation, analysing metadata and network patterns.

Its report meticulously traced the forgeries' origins to coordinated accounts exhibiting inauthentic behaviour. Digital forensics revealed inconsistencies in signatures, letterheads, and timestamps, hallmarks of hasty fabrication.

The campaign's brevity—spanning late November to early December—suggests an opportunistic bid to disrupt negotiations or public support.

India's defence ministry has not publicly commented, consistent with its policy on unverified social media claims.

Yet, official channels affirm the Rafale-Marine deal's progress, with deliveries slated to commence in the late 2020s.

This episode mirrors global trends where disinformation targets high-stakes arms deals, as seen in campaigns against US F-35 sales.

For India, reliant on diversified imports amid indigenisation drives, such interference threatens procurement timelines and costs. The Indo-Pacific's contested waters amplify the stakes, with INS Vikrant poised to counterbalance Chinese naval expansion.

Franco-Indian ties, forged through prior Rafale land-based acquisitions, now extend to maritime domains, including joint exercises like Varuna.

Viginum's intervention not only neutralises the immediate threat but sets a precedent for bilateral intelligence-sharing on hybrid threats.

India could enhance countermeasures via platforms like the National Cyber Coordination Centre, bolstering real-time monitoring.

Social media firms face pressure to curb state-sponsored inauthentic behaviour, though enforcement remains inconsistent.

Public discourse on defence deals demands media literacy to discern verified sources from fabrications.

This campaign's exposure reaffirms the resilience of strategic partnerships against digital subversion. As India advances its blue-water navy ambitions, protecting information integrity proves as vital as hardware delivery.

The Rafale-Marine acquisition will proceed undeterred, signalling robust confidence in French technology and bilateral trust.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)