Vietnam Veterans’ Day 2018
Australians are encouraged to pause and reflect today on the service and sacrifice of the men and women who served during the Vietnam War.
Today is Vietnam Veterans’ Day and the 52nd anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester will pay his respects to all those who served in the Vietnam War, laying a wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day Service at the National Australian Vietnam Forces Memorial, ANZAC Parade, Canberra.
“The Vietnam War was Australia’s longest military engagement of the 20th Century with almost 60,000 Australians serving during a decade of conflict between 1962 and 1972,” Mr Chester said.
“Each year on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, Australia commemorates all those who served in the Vietnam War, including the more than 500 Australians who lost their lives.”
“Today we acknowledge and honour all who served in Vietnam during 10 years of war and we honour the veterans who have lost their lives in the years since they returned, those who still carry the physical and emotional scars of their service and the families that have stood by them.”
The Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day Service in Canberra is organised each year by the Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Federation ACT Inc.
“The Battle of Long Tan, on the 18 August 1966, was one of the fiercest battles fought by Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War. A total of 17 Australians were killed in action and 25 were wounded, one of whom died a few days later,” Mr Chester said.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the Vietnam Veterans’ Association of Australia and the role it played in the establishment of a dedicated counselling service providing specialised mental health and support services to all veterans and their families — the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service, now known as the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS).”
Australians are encouraged to attend the Last Post Ceremony held at the Australian War Memorial at 4:55pm AEST today to commemorate Vietnam Veterans’ Day and the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.
It will remember the service and sacrifice of Petty Officer O’Brian Cedric Ignatious Phillips who served during the Vietnam War in the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam and was killed in action in a helicopter crash on 21 August 1968, aged 32.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
![Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have successfully demonstrated the integration of advanced autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI) to test the resilience of autonomous assets in a contested environment. Conducted in South Australia in late 2023, the Trusted Operation of Robotic Vehicles in a Contested Environment (TORVICE) trial combined Australian, UK and US innovation and technology to test leading-edge AI in uncrewed robotic vehicles. TORVICE tested the ability of autonomous vehicles to complete their missions and preserve network connectivity in a contested environment. In December 2023, AUKUS Defence ministers announced that resilient and autonomous artificial intelligence technologies would be integrated into national programs in 2024. The TORVICE trial takes us a step closer to adopting these technologies in the land domain. The trial comprised UK and US robotic ground vehicles to represent autonomous multi-domain launchers and uncrewed ground vehicles, tasked to conduct long-range precision fires and other associated missions. The vehicles carried no weapons during the trial. Australian scientists subjected the vehicles to attacks from electronic warfare, electro optical laser, and position, navigation and timing systems to test resilience. Guy Powell, Principal Adviser, Land Autonomy, UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, said networked autonomy would be critical to future warfighting. “Robotic and autonomous systems have the potential to transform the battlefield providing a force multiplier while reducing risk to warfighters,” he said. “TORVICE allows us to understand robotic autonomous systems' operation in a contested environment and increase resilience of these systems. Working across three nations will accelerate development of robust capable systems.” Shane Canney, Chief Land and Integrated Force, Defence Science and Technology Group,saidinteroperability with AUKUS partners on land, at sea, in the air and in cyber space would support the ADF to maintain its strategic military edge. “Understanding how robotic vehicles react in contested environments accelerates our collective know-how and helps improve the system to overcome such attacks,” Dr Canney said. “Transitioning trusted robotic capabilities into the hands of our warfighters safely and ethically is a priority.” Kimberly Sablon, Principal Director for Trusted Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, US Department of Defense, said TORVICE built uponthe first AUKUS artificial intelligence and autonomy trial held in the UK. “The TORVICE project builds upon the work the AUKUS partners demonstrated in Salisbury in April [2023],” Dr Sablon said. “During this exercise, we performed rigorous red teaming of our autonomous and AI systems to assess and mitigate vulnerabilities and to improve their resilience in contested and complex environments.” Through AUKUS, Australia, the UK, and the US are collaborating to accelerate collective understanding of AI and autonomy technologies, and how to rapidly field robust, trustworthy AI and autonomy in complex operations. Australia, the UK and the US continue to uphold the values of safe and responsible use of AI.](https://www.contactairlandandsea.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240206adf8694556_02.png.iifBqeHeMRUtk71jYBMA.wgYb_wPkjw-390x205.jpg)