Editing Macchi C.205 Veltro (section)

===Postwar===
[[File:Macchi C.205.jpg|thumb|C.205 Veltro in service with the postwar [[Aeronautica Militare]], around 1960]]
Production of the C.205 continued in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War; the [[Aeronautica Militare Italiana]] (AMI) proceeded to take delivery of Macchi-built C.205s until late 1948.<ref name="Mattioli 87">Mattioli 2002, p. 87.</ref> Nor would the AMI be the sole customer of the type.

During 1948–1949, Egypt received 62 refurbished C.205Vs,<ref name="Cattano p76-77">Cattanno 1995, pp. 76–77.</ref><ref name="Mattioli 8889">Mattioli 2002, pp. 88-89.</ref> of which 41 were converted from C.202 airframes. In May 1948, eight C.205V and 16 C.202 were upgraded and in February 1949, three brand new and 15 ex-MC.202, and in May another 10 MC.205 and 10 MC.202 were upgraded. This last contract was not finalized and, given the end of the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]] (1948–49), the fighters were delivered to the AMI instead. Egypt also ordered 19 G.55s and Syria another 16, all new-built.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

The new ''Veltros'' were fully equipped, while the ''Folgore'' conversions were armed with only two 12.7&nbsp;mm Breda machine guns. They were the lightest series of the entire production, and consequently had the best performance, but were seriously under-armed. A total of 15 Macchis were delivered to Egypt before the end of the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], seeing brief combat against the [[Israeli Air Force]].<ref name="Cattano p77">Cattano 1995, p. 77.</ref><ref name="Mattioli 88">Mattioli 2002, p. 88.</ref> Some Veltros, equipped with underwing [[Hardpoint#Racks|bomb racks]] were used in ground-attack sorties against Israeli targets.<ref>Berrone 2000, p. 116.</ref> On 7 January 1949, a C.205 claimed an Israeli P-51D Mustang.<ref>Glancey 2006, p. 168.</ref> In return, two or three Veltros had been claimed by IAF fighters by the end of the war in July, with another six under repair.<ref>Berrone 2000, p. 117.</ref>

Israeli secret services reacted with a bombing in Italy, which at the time was supplying both Israel and the Arab states. On 15 February 1947, an SM.95 airliner was destroyed, possibly by sabotage, soon after takeoff from Rome. On board were an Egyptian princess, several politicians and an Italian intelligence officer. A subsequent bombing was at [[Venegono Inferiore|Venegono]] on 18 September 1948; one hangar was damaged by several explosive devices, destroying three MB.308 and one MC.205 in Macchi facilities. The hangar, not totally demolished, contained several Veltros destined for Egypt.<ref>{{cite book |author=Mantelli - Brown - Kittel - Graf |title=Aer. Macchi - La Trilogia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m64mCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA127 |date=2015 |publisher=Edizioni REI |isbn=978-2-37297-230-7 |page=127}}</ref> All the G.55s ordered by Egypt were armed with four Breda (12.7&nbsp;mm) machine-guns, and they were brand new; 16 were single-seaters and three were twin-seaters. Syria ordered sixteen G.55A; all single-seaters.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

The MM/Snc were: Macchi first batch: 1201–1224; second batch, 1225–1242. Fiat G.55A were 91214–91220, 91225–91229, 91221-91224 (G.55B two-seats).<ref name="Gori pp. 64–68.">Gori, Paolo. "Caccia Italiani in Palestina (in Italian)". ''JP-4 magazine'', April 1991, pp. 64–68.</ref>

During 1951, the final batch of Veltros were delivered, the fighter serving mainly with No.2 Sqn until the mid-1950s. The last batch, 20 Veltros (10 ex-MC.202, six Veltro sr.III and 4 sr.I) were assigned to AMI with deliveries continuing until 29 May 1951. The phasing out process was however swift, because the new Anglo-American jet fighters were available at a surprisingly low cost at the time of the official phasing out of the Veltro (around 1951), although the last MC.205 was phased out in 1955. The "Folgore" was stricken off register in 1948, with the exception of those C.202 airframes transformed into Veltros.<ref name="Gori pp. 64–68."/>