 Some of these aircraft were reportedly flown by Japanese veterans.Within the Republic of China Air Force 18th Squadron (12th Fighter Group) was equipped with Ki-44s formerly of "9th Sentai", which had disbanded in Nanking, and "29th Sentai", which had disbanded at Formosa and they saw action in .Following the retreat of the Nationalists the People's Liberation Army Air Force (formed in 1949) used the Ki-44 until the early 1950s.