 The Manchukuo Air Force also operated some Ki-44s.Pre-production Ki-44 aircraft and two of the prototypes were turned over to the Army for service trials on 15 September 1941.The type commenced operations when nine aircraft were received by an experimental unit, "47th Chutai" ""Kawasemi Buntai"" ("Kingfisher Flight, 47th Squadron"), commanded by Major Toshio Sakagawa at Saigon, Indochina in December 1941.