On 25 February 1971 the battalion returned to Phuoc Tuy Province. By 1971 American and Australian forces in Vietnam had reduced significantly and under President Nixon's Vietnamization program U.S and allied forces undertook the process of handing control of the country back to the South Vietnamese forces and the Republic of Vietnam government. Communist forces took this opportunity to try and re enter areas that they had been previously forced out of earlier. This included the Australian and New Zealand Tactical area of responsibility of Phuoc Tuy Province. During the second tour the battalion took part in several actions and saw fierce fighting particularly in Battle of Long Khánh against well-trained North Vietnamese Army Regular forces before returning to Australia by the end of 1971 after an eight-month tour. During these operations 3 RAR lost four killed and 27 wounded.