11th Sentai
In the Autumn of 1942 things were not going well for the Japanese in their Southeast Area - primarily the Solomons and New Guinea. It was decided to send JAAF units to the area to bolster Japanese Navy air units already there. Among these was the 12th Hiko Dan (Flying Brigade) consisting of the 1st and 11th Sentais equipped with Ki 43-Is. The 11th Sentai transferred from Surbaya to Truk by aircraft carrier in December 1942. Fifty seven Ki 43-I's were flown from Truk to Rabaul on December 18th. The 1st Sentai followed a month later with fifty nine Ki 43-Is. These two units are of particular interest since they brought with them aircraft formerly with a wide variety of other JAAF units in SE Asia.

45th Sentai
This unit served from the Philippines to New Guinea and was primarily equipped with Ki-45 Nicks and Ki 48 Lilys

20th Dokuritsu Hiko Chutai
(No 20 Air Transport Company) This unit was equipped with Ki-49s which served primarily as transports. These were deonted by a circular "Z" marking on the tail, the color of which was mainly yellow. The unit served from the Philippines as far south as Madang in Papua New Guinea.

64th Sentai
The first unit equipped with the Ki 43-I was the 64th Sentai which re-armed with the new aircraft from August to November 1941. The early Ki-43s assigned to the 64th were equipped with one 7.7mm gun and one 12.7mm gun. The unit served in New Guinea before being decimated by Fifth Air Force strafers in 1944.