‘Fake news’: French Navy slams Pakistani media for spreading misinformation on Rafale claims

The French Navy has slammed a Pakistan-based media outlet for pushing “misinformation and disinformation” by circulating fake claims about India’s Operation Sindoor and strikes on Pakistan-backed terror sites after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which killed 26 civilians.

The condemnation came after a Pakistani channel attempted to portray France as endorsing Pakistan’s Air Force following the post-Pahalgam confrontation with India. The Marine Nationale — the naval arm of the French Armed Forces — categorically rejected the claims, saying no such remarks were ever made.

[#FAKENEWS] These statements were attributed to Captain Launay who never gave his consent for any form of publication.
The article contains extensive misinformation and disinformation. pic.twitter.com/crVrFFABkx

— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) November 22, 2025

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“[#FAKENEWS] These statements were attributed to Captain Launay who never gave his consent for any form of publication. The article contains extensive misinformation and disinformation,” the Marine Nationale wrote on X.

Geo TV and its correspondent Hamid Mir had falsely attributed claims of air superiority — including the downing of multiple Indian Rafale jets — to French naval commander Captain Launay.

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French Navy exposes Pakistan’s false narrative

The clarification followed a November 21 article by Geo TV claiming that a French commander had “confirmed” Pakistan’s air superiority and claimed Indian Rafales were shot down during border skirmishes. The French Navy said the report not only misquoted officers but even botched the officer’s name, referring to him as “Jacques Launay” instead of his real name, Captain Yvan Launay.

Reiterating its stand on X, the Marine Nationale said:
“These statements were attributed to Captain Launay, who never gave his consent for any form of publication. The article contains extensive misinformation and disinformation.”

Paris dismisses sensational Pakistani claims as fiction

The disputed Pakistani report sensationally alleged that the commander had praised Pakistan’s Air Force during the May 6–7 faceoff involving over 140 fighter jets and even “confirmed” that Indian Rafales were shot down with Chinese support. The French Navy said none of these assertions were true.

According to France, Captain Launay’s actual role is limited to commanding the naval air station at Landivisiau, where Rafale Marine aircraft are based — far from the Pakistani media’s portrayal of him as a senior figure involved in India–Pakistan military assessments. His conference presentation, the Navy said, was purely technical, focused on Rafale Marine missions and high-intensity air combat challenges.

Pakistani outlet misquotes again to fit propaganda line

The Pakistani outlet further falsely claimed, “Addressing why Rafale’s radar system failed to perform properly during combat, Captain Launay said the issue was operational rather than technical. ‘There was nothing wrong with the war machine, but the machine was not used properly,’ he explained, adding that ‘Rafale can compete and defeat the Chinese J-10C in any combat situation.’”