The US military command has gathered to hunt down Santa Claus

The American Army needs his technology

Children around the world are eagerly awaiting Santa Claus at Christmas, and the US military is ready to track the reindeer sleigh and see if he uses any new technology. Everyone can also watch Santa travel around the world, starting on Christmas Eve.

Armed with radars, sensors and aircraft, the Colorado Aerospace Defense Command has been keeping a close eye on Santa and his sleigh from the moment he leaves the North Pole.

The military command responsible for protecting North American airspace, NORAD, has launched its noradsanta.org. There is a clock on the website and mobile app showing when official Santa surveillance will begin.

The military will track Santa using “the same technology that is used every single day to keep America safe.” This statement was made by a US Air Force colonel. NORAD chief spokeswoman Elizabeth Mathias explained that they could follow the light coming from Rudolph’s red nose.

Mathias notes that while NORAD has a good intelligence assessment of his sleigh’s capabilities, in 2023 Santa Claus may have some high-tech secrets up his sleeve to help him travel—perhaps even artificial intelligence.

“I’ll be curious to see if our assessment of its flight this year reveals any advanced capabilities,” Matthias told The Associated Press.

The tradition of tracking down Santa Claus began in 1955, when Air Force Col. J. Harry Shoup—the duty commander of NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command—received a call from a child who had dialed a misspelled telephone number in a department store newspaper ad, thinking he was calling Father Christmas. .

Shoup then quickly assured the caller that he had called the correct number, and as more calls came in, he instructed the officer on duty to continue answering. And so the tradition began.

NORAD expects about 1,100 volunteers to help answer calls this year at the dedicated operations center at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, ranging from command personnel to individuals from around the world.

“For some people, it’s kind of a Christmas bucket list item,” says Elizabeth Mathias, calling the operations center “definitely the most festive place to be on December 24th.”

The operations center opens at 4 a.m. on Christmas Eve and is open until midnight. Anyone can call the number to speak directly with NORAD staff, who will provide updated information on Santa’s exact location.