Despite attempts to modernise, by the time war was declared in September 1939, Belgium's Aeronautique Militaire was largely equipped with obsolescent types. The most modern aircraft available were 20 Hawker Hurricane Is and 15 Fairey Battles. Biplanes dominated, including 22 Gloster Gladiators delivered from August 1937 and a similar number of Fiat CR.42s which arrived in the spring of 1940. These four types equipped five squadrons but the remaining 11 operational units flew variants of the 1920s-vintage Fairey Fox! As late as September 1938, a dozen updated Fox Ⅷs had been ordered from Avions Fairey at Gosselies - the Belgian subsidiary of the British Fairey company.
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