During Operation Harpoon, one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated central Mediterranean Sea in mid-June 1942, C.202s were involved in clashing with Sea Hurricanes. However, it was during this time that the Axis had to abandon their plans for the invasion of Malta (known as Operation C 3) due to the aircraft and men being necessary elsewhere. On 7 March 1942, the carrier delivered the first Spitfires to Malta, and the Axis' air-superiority started to shift in favour of the Allies. At the end of June, however, about 60 C.202s could be mustered in Sicily to operate against Malta, which had been receiving the Spitfire Mk. V in ever-increasing quantities. The Macchi could out-turn the Spitfire, but the "Folgores" suffered from the lack of a more powerful armament and, without radios, the "Regia Aeronautica" pilots were forced to communicate with one another by waggling their wings and, consequently, had to adopt formations that were too tight and less effective in combat. Their performance had also suffered due to the lack of radar, which the RAF were making extensive use of to successfully vector their fighters against their aerial opposition.