Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hold a news conference with reporters at the Pentagon, April 14, 2020.

An Atlas V rocket launches at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., to take an AEHF-6 satellite into orbit, March 26, 2020. The sophisticated communications relay satellite is the first Defense Department payload launched for the Space Force. (Photo by Joshua Conti, Air Force)

Two U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons fly over Afghanistan, March 17, 2020. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft that delivers war- winning airpower to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Lotz) (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Lotz)

Army 1st Lt. Gregory Doty, liaison officer, Hammer Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, assembles an M18 claymore training mine as part of the testing phase for the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Expert Soldier Badge in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, March 31, 2020. The soldiers are deployed in support of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Poland. (Photo by Army Sgt. Timothy Hamlin)

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hold a Pentagon news conference on the Defense Department’s actions in support of the nation’s COVID-19 response, April 14, 2020. (Photo by Marvin D. Lynchard, DOD)

Even as the Defense Department supports the whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues its vital national security missions, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said yesterday during a Pentagon news conference.

Esper and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a conference on DOD's support for the nation's COVID-19 response. Esper also gave examples of some of the security missions DOD has undertaken, including:

Conducting counterterrorism missions in Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan;

Conducting freedom of navigation operations around the world;

Monitoring North Korean weapons tests;

Improving the U.S. defensive posture in Iraq;

Escorting Russian bombers out of U.S. airspace;

Deterring Iran's aggressive behavior;

Working with Afghan security forces and Operation Resolute Support partners in Afghanistan;

Continuing enhanced counternarcotics operations in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility;

Working with NATO allies in Europe; and

Continuing to defend U.S. interests in space.

And last month, the Space Force launched its first satellite into orbit, Esper noted.

Regarding North Korean weapons tests, Milley said the intelligence analysis of their recent missile launches would take a few days, but the tests were short-range and not particularly provocative or threatening.

Regarding COVID-19, Milley said there are going to be a lot of lessons learned, and a comprehensive after-action review will follow. It won't be business as usual after the pandemic, the chairman said.

"There are countries out there in states that are very fragile that are in various states of civil war and have violence internal to their societies," he said. "There's significant stress as a result of the COVID-19 virus on the internal politics of other countries. There's a significant stress on their economies, on resources. There's risk of instability, So, no, it's not going to be business as usual. We've got to take a hard look at how we, the Department of Defense, conduct operations in the future."

50:13 | Top DOD Officials Hold News Conference

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