Combating information warfare: How Airbus is helping win the fight for the truth

In an age where information warfare is increasingly prevalent, Airbus stands at the forefront through its leadership of the EUCINF project. This initiative, part of the European Defence Fund, aims to equip EU member states with critical capabilities necessary to safeguard their information environments.

The digital realm is recognized as a vital frontline in contemporary conflicts, where both state and non-state entities engage in disinformation campaigns that can polarize societies and destabilize nations. The threats presented by such tactics are illustrated by the EUvsDisinfo project, which has debunked more than 19,000 instances of disinformation since its inception in 2015, highlighting concerns about elections and public health.

Governments are taking decisive steps to counteract foreign disinformation. For instance, France has established an X account titled French Response to actively combat misinformation aimed at the country.

This evolving landscape emphasizes the integral role of technology in addressing information warfare. Airbus is a key ally for governmental agencies in this strategic domain.

Transforming Disinformation into Actionable Intelligence

Understanding the language of information warfare is essential to addressing its complexities. Annabelle Travers-Viaud, Project Manager and Coordinator of EUCINF at Airbus Defence and Space, notes a distinction between ‘disinformation’ and ‘information warfare.’ While disinformation involves the creation and dissemination of false content, cyber information warfare integrates this with a wider strategy encompassing manipulation, psychological operations, and physical actions to realize specific objectives.

With an established history as a partner to governmental agencies, Airbus offers solutions like the Fortion Massive Intelligence platform, which helps convert raw data into the crucial insights required for informed decision-making.

“Manually tracking disinformation is as futile as counting grains of sand on a beach,” states Travers-Viaud. “A comprehensive understanding of an actor’s intentions is vital.” This necessitates a collaboration between human analysts and advanced machine tools, executed through a structured process:

• Data ingestion: The foundation of analysis relies on Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), which compiles publicly available data from sources like social media and news outlets. This diverse raw data needs normalization and structuring to facilitate thorough analysis.
• Analysis and detection: During this phase, human expertise collaborates with artificial intelligence. AI algorithms navigate extensive content to detect fake visuals, audio, or damaging narratives, while analysts utilize AI tools to identify patterns and alert against spreading falsehoods.
• Action and response: The final analytical stage translates findings into actionable intelligence, which can be disseminated among allies or utilized for operational planning. This may involve generating detailed reports for policy decisions or strategies for counteracting misinformation.

Strengthening European Resilience Against Disinformation

A cohesive approach to disinformation and information warfare is essential in today’s fast-changing context. The EUCINF project, designed to enhance and unify the defence capabilities of EU member states, has secured funding through the European Defence Fund (EDF).

Coordinated by Airbus, the EUCINF initiative integrates expertise from 22 companies across 12 nations, striving to equip EU member states with next-generation capabilities to protect their information spaces. As Travers-Viaud emphasizes, “This project lays the groundwork for a robust EU response to modern information warfare requirements, defining frameworks for integrating solutions from various companies into a flexible, interoperable toolbox for both European and national defense authorities.”

“We are adding specific AI-powered modules to offer tangible value, like automating report generation. However, AI won’t be applied indiscriminately across all facets.” – Annabelle Travers-Viaud, EUCINF Project Manager and Coordinator, Airbus Defence and Space

Driving Innovation in Defence

Scheduled to conclude in November 2026, the EUCINF project will yield a suite of prototype-level software components, each designed for specific functions such as data normalization and mapping social media posts. Users will be able to craft personalized workflows by interlinking these components.

“This modularity represents a new paradigm in collective defense, prompting nations to invest and tailor these tools to their specific needs,” concludes Travers-Viaud. “EUCINF is just the starting point; it establishes the groundwork for effective collaboration across Europe in the face of cyber information warfare.” Collaboration emerges not merely as a tactical advantage but as an essential pathway forward in the combat for truth.

Disclaimer: The EUCINF project is co-funded by the European Union. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the EU’s or European Commission’s positions. The EU and the granting authority are not liable for any of the content.

The information in this document constitutes intellectual property of the listed companies. It may be reproduced in whole or in part by the Contributing Members for their own purposes, in accordance with the terms set forth in the Consortium Agreement dated November 11th, 2023. Disclosure of this information requires authorization from the owning company or companies unless otherwise stipulated by the aforementioned agreement.

Source: Airbus Defence and Space (2025-11-11)