The tradition that began in 1955, when a young girl called Air Defense thinking she was talking to Santa, will be repeated again this year, when the North American Aerospace Defense Command follows in the footsteps of the famous sleigh that carries Old Man Easter. “We are able to follow the light of Rudolph the Reindeer’s red nose,” they say.
As children around the world eagerly await the arrival of Old Man Easter this Christmas, the military is ready to follow him and see if he uses any new technology.
Armed with radars, sensors and aircraft, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado will keep a close eye on Santa Claus, as he is also known in the Northern Hemisphere, and his sleigh as soon as they leave the North Pole. . And, once again, the military command will share the details so that everyone can follow the Easter journey around the world starting on Christmas Eve.
NORAD, a military command responsible for protecting the airspace of North America through the joint organization of Canada and the United States – but which provides defense and intelligence over the entire northern continent – launched its website noradsanta.org , its social networks and its mobile application, filled with games, films, books and music. In addition, it has a countdown timer that indicates when official sled tracking will begin.
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The military will track Santa with “the same technology we use every day to keep North America safe,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Elizabeth Mathias, chief spokeswoman for the NORAD. “We are able to follow the light of Rudolph the Reindeer’s red nose.”
Mathias says that while NORAD has a good assessment of his sled’s capabilities, Old Man Pascuero isn’t filing a flight plan and might have some high-tech secrets up his red sleeve this year to help guide his travel – like maybe even artificial intelligence.
“I still don’t know if it uses artificial intelligence,” explains Mathias. “I’m curious to see if our observation of its flight this year shows us any advanced capabilities.”
The tradition of tracking down Santa Claus began in 1955, when Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, a team commander at NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command, received a call from a young girl who had dialed a telephone number misprinted in an advertisement for a department. store, thinking he was calling Old Man Easter.
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Shoup quickly assured the girl it was Santa, and as he received more calls, he assigned an officer on duty to continue responding. And so the tradition began.
NORAD this year expects about 1,100 volunteers to help respond to calls at an operations center at Peterson Space Base in Colorado Springs, ranging from command staff to people around the world.
“For some, it’s a kind of wish list,” says Mathias, who considers the operations center to be “the most festive place you can be on December 24, without a doubt.”
The operations center will be operational at 4 a.m. (MTS) on Christmas Eve and will remain open until midnight. Anyone can call 1-877 HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to speak directly with NORAD staff members who will inform you of Viejito Pascuero’s exact location.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
