Breda.65 Nibbio fighter-bomber played a leading role in the Spanish Civil War as a fighter. In this war they were able to shoot-down a Republican Tupolev SB.2 bomber.
Twenty-three Nibbios were sent to Spain, but only eleven survived the war. The survivors were left in the hands of the Spanish Air Force, which kept them in service for a short time.
Within the Spanish Civil War, they performed missions jointly with the famous German JU-87 Stuka. After comparing both aircrafts in combat, the BA.65 Nibbio was considered to be not far from the performance and capabilities of the German model.
Twenty-five aircraft were sold to the Royal Iraqi Air Force that used them against British troops in the little-known Anglo-Iraqi War of 1941.
The Chilean, Paraguayan and Portuguese Air Forces had the Nibbio in their lines, although in small quantities. Chile had twenty in service and Portugal only had ten aircrafts.
