Military Command Tracks Santa's Annual Flight
On Wednesday, December 24, Santa Claus embarked on his annual Christmas Eve mission, delivering presents to children worldwide from his sleigh pulled by reindeer. For seventy years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command has monitored this festive journey.
NORAD, the joint U.S.-Canadian military organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, acknowledges that despite decades of observation, they cannot predict Santa's exact route each year. "NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where or when he will arrive at your house," explained a senior NORAD official in a statement.
Origins of the Tracking Tradition
This unique military tradition began in 1955 due to a newspaper misprint in Colorado Springs. A department store advertisement listing a phone number for children to call Santa accidentally directed calls to what was then the Continental Air Defense Command. A thoughtful officer answered the calls and informed children that Santa was indeed airborne and on schedule.
Today, NORAD uses its polar radar network to detect Santa's departure from the North Pole. The command then follows his progress using the same satellite systems that monitor for potential missile threats to North America. When Rudolph the reindeer activates his glowing red nose, military personnel can pinpoint Santa's location through infrared sensors on these satellites.
Presidential Involvement
U.S. President Donald Trump participated in the tradition on Wednesday while at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Speaking with children by telephone near a Christmas tree, Trump referenced NORAD's tracking data. To one child from Pennsylvania, he remarked, "So Santa right now is in Copenhagen, Denmark, but he's heading toward our country. What would you like from Santa?"
In a humorous exchange with another caller, Trump framed the tracking in security terms, stating, "We want to make sure he's not infiltrated, that we're not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa."
Alongside its primary duties of air defense monitoring and issuing warnings, NORAD has provided updates and imagery of Santa's global journey for seven decades, maintaining this holiday tradition that connects military operations with seasonal cheer.
