I think the point is, however, while Italy's fighters may have been able to compete with British antiquated Gladiators over Malta, Italy's involvement in the war was not limited to malta, and they could certainly not compete with even obsolescant British fighters like the Hurricane.

I think when we are speaking of a nation's ability to 'compete with malta' a rock the size of a small city, we get an idea of just how ill-prepared they were for a wider war.