For nearly seven decades, a top-secret military command centre has transformed into a magical Christmas hotline for children worldwide, all thanks to a single misprinted newspaper advert. What began as a wrong number in 1955 has evolved into a high-tech operation answering hundreds of thousands of calls each Christmas Eve.
The Accidental Start of a Christmas Tradition
In 1955, a Colorado newspaper advertisement for Sears' Santa Claus phone line contained a critical error: it printed the number for the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) operations centre, the highly classified predecessor to today's North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). When a child dialled the number seeking Father Christmas, the duty officer, Colonel Harry Shoup, faced an unexpected choice. Rather than dismissing the call, he instructed his team to provide the young caller with updates on Santa's location, sparking a beloved annual ritual.
This heartwarming mistake laid the foundation for what is now known as NORAD Tracks Santa. The joint US-Canadian military organisation, tasked with defending North American airspace using radar, satellites, and fighter jets, dedicates its formidable resources every 24th of December to monitoring Saint Nick's global journey.
A Modern, Multi-Language Operation
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the program's manager, US Army Captain Alex Werden, revealed the staggering scale of the modern operation. Nearly 400,000 children are expected to call the Colorado Springs base this year, with peak hours seeing around 60,000 calls every sixty minutes. To manage this immense demand, the 2025 program has undergone a significant technological overhaul.
The system now features a fully web-based call centre, utilising platforms like Twilio and Amazon Connect to handle global traffic efficiently. Recognising its international audience, NORAD has arranged for interpreters fluent in 200 different languages, provided by Interpreters Unlimited, to ensure no child faces a language barrier.
"I'd say that the technological solutions we use have certainly enabled the most modern call centre experience yet," Captain Werden stated. This year, 1,000 volunteers will use laptops and headsets to answer queries, consulting a real-time tracking map to inform children of Santa's precise location and estimated arrival time at their homes.
Tracking the Sleigh with Military Precision
But how does a military command actually track a magical sleigh? Captain Werden explained that NORAD employs its genuine defence assets for the festive mission. The North Warning Radar System in northern Canada and Alaska detects the sleigh's departure from the North Pole. Later, infrared satellites orbiting 22,000 miles above Earth, typically scanning for missile launches, pinpoint the distinct heat signature from Rudolph's red nose.
For his flight over North America, Santa receives a formidable escort. The US Air Force will scramble its most advanced fighter jets, including F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s, to accompany the sleigh. Children can follow the journey themselves via the noradsanta.org website, which offers a live 3D map, Santa-cam videos, and a new web-calling option. Mobile apps, Amazon Alexa, and even the OnStar button in GM vehicles provide instant updates.
Werden, who is leading the program for the first time this year, also hinted at a potential presidential surprise. "For a few years, either the First Lady of the United States or the President has received a few of these calls via NORAD," he revealed. He emphasised that the entire operation is funded by private sector partners, not taxpayer money from the Pentagon.
Despite the advanced technology, Captain Werden passed on Santa's timeless reminder to the Daily Mail: children must be in bed between 9pm and midnight local time for his arrival. A tradition born from a simple error continues to deliver festive magic, proving that sometimes the best defence strategies involve a little Christmas cheer.
