NORAD Tracks Santa: an insiders report

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Taber Times

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is usually busy assessing risks and threats from above. And while NORAD defends North America “using an all-domain and globally integrated approach to track everything that flies in and around Canada and the United States,” on Dec. 24 it breaks from the norm to undertake a special holiday mission: tracking Santa Claus.

 The norm for NORAD is missions in aerospace warning and control, maritime warning, detecting, validating, and warning of ballistic missile attacks, and maintaining continental detection. It also manages aerospace control of air-breathing threats. A high calling indeed.

 But that’s not all. On Dec. 24, it keeps a close eye on the comings and goings of a white-bearded man in red who’s busy cruising at high altitude in a sled driven by flying reindeer. So how did the agency become entangled in this marvel of aviation? And are airborne ungulates and a chubby old do-gooder hollering “Ho, ho, ho” anything to fear from a national security standpoint?

 On its website, NORAD explains, “Like many origin stories, NORAD’s mission to track Santa began by accident. In 1955 a young child, trying to reach Santa, dialed the misprinted phone number from a department store ad in the local newspaper. Instead of calling Santa, the child called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.”

 “Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night who answered the child’s phone call, was quick to realize a mistake had been made and assured the child he was Santa. After more incoming calls, Shoup assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls and a tradition was born that continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.

 Being keen to uncover the truth about Mr. Claus, we contacted Lt. Elise De Garie at 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters, Canadian NORAD Region/Search and Rescue Region Trenton, Canadian Armed Forces. She was highly enthusiastic about NORAD’s role in the holiday season, declaring, “I can confidently say that, after 69 years of tracking Santa, this very important mission of holiday cheer and goodwill remains a favourite at NORAD!”

 We asked De Garie how NORAD locates Santa and tracks his whereabouts on Christmas. She replied, “We track Santa using three systems: radars including the North Warning System, satellites, and NORAD military aircraft. The North Warning System is a powerful radar system that has 47 installations across Alaska and Northern Canada. The moment the North Warning System radar indicates Santa’s departure from the North Pole, NORAD transitions Santa tracking to our network of globally integrated satellite systems.”

 “The satellites are located in a geo-synchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth and have infrared sensors which allow them to detect heat,” she said. “The satellites have no trouble following Santa’s route due to the intensity of Rudolph’s nose.”

 She said that from there, NORAD fighter jets – Canadian CF-18s and US F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s – accompany Santa as he travels through Canada and the United States.

 “Also at the heart of NORAD Tracks Santa is a team of more than 1,000 Canadian and American uniformed personnel, DoD civilian employees, and members of the Colorado Springs community that come together to track Santa,” she explained.

 As far as privacy goes, we asked if jolly old Saint Nick knows that he’s under such close surveillance. De Garie answered, “I’m not sure that surveillance is the right word, but Santa definitely knows he’s being tracked by NORAD. Since 1955, NORAD fighter jets have encountered Santa many, many times, and it is always a wonderful and friendly occasion. When our pilots see Santa, they tip their wings, and he smiles and waves back!”

 Another point of interest was Santa’s incredibly tight schedule on Dec. 24 and 25. How fast do Santa and the reindeer sleigh travel to get ‘er done on Christmas night?

 “We don’t know exactly how fast Santa flies, but we’ve learned in the 69 years of tracking Santa that Santa does not experience time the way we do. To reach every house around the world in a single night, Santa has the capacity to travel faster than starlight!” she said with astonishment. “This does not prevent NORAD from tracking his location on Dec. 24 via our radars, satellites, and military aircraft. Our all-domain approach provides NORAD with a continuous picture of Santa’s whereabouts.”

 In spite of the good will shared between NORAD and Santa, going back to Santa’s place for a nightcap is off the table for his escort pilots. DeGarie explained, “Santa’s escort would not go all the way back home with Santa to the North Pole because it is outside Canadian airspace.”

 Other fun facts from De Garie’s NORAD experiences are:

-Only Santa knows when he will arrive at your house. “We know from historical experience that Santa typically departs the North Pole by 6 a.m. (EST), while children are sleeping in the eastern Pacific and Asia.”

– “Santa typically visits a home between 9 p.m. and midnight, and ONLY when children are asleep! If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other homes and returns later. Also, don’t try and catch Santa on your doorbell camera! These have not been around for long, but he’s got it all figured out already!”

-The easiest way to learn his whereabouts is on the website, http://www.noradsanta.org, or by calling its call center at 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446- 6823).

 The NORAD Tracks Santa website receives several million visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. It reports that volunteers typically answer more than 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children across the globe. The website features a holiday countdown, games, a movie theater, holiday music, and a web store. In addition to the phone line and website, the young-at-heart can track Santa through the agency’s mobile apps and social media platforms.