North Warning Systems good to go for Santa Tracking: Canadian Rangers

December 16, 2022 - Defence Stories

By Capt Matt Zalot, 5 Canadian Division Public Affairs

Every year, the Canadian Rangers support a very noteworthy task: inspecting the sensor arrays that contribute to NORAD’s annual Santa-tracking efforts. The Rangers, a 5000-person strong sub-component of the Canadian Army Reserve, live largely in remote, isolated, and coastal regions of Canada, much like everyone’s favourite elf.

Split into five patrol groups across Canada, each CRPG conducts and provides support to sovereignty operations such as reporting suspicious and unusual activities as well as collecting local information of military significance. 5^th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (CRPG) encompasses Newfoundland and Labrador.   

“Our Rangers are routinely engaged in northern communities and conducting patrols throughout the remote and isolated parts of the province,” said Lieutenant-Colonel John Cross, the Commanding Officer of 5 CRPG. “But as the holidays approach, our North Warning System inspections gain particular relevance in support of NORAD’s mission on Dec. 24^th and year-round.” 

Throughout the year, 5 CRPG Rangers are capable of traveling into and throughout Canada’s harsh tundra. An important part of this capability is to inspect the North Warning System (NWS) that helps Santa trackers zero-in on Kris Kringle’s whereabouts when he takes flight each Christmas Eve.

Spread across the northern reaches of North America, the NWS is a chain of radar stations that support NORAD’s aerospace warning mission. The NWS enables NORAD to track who and what is entering North American airspace. Twenty-four hours a day this means detecting what potential threats are nearby; but on December 24^th there is a more anticipated and known detection whereby these efforts take a more playful turn.

“The Ranger link to NORAD is not well-known,” said LCol Cross. “But Rangers have been inspecting the North Warning System for years and continue to play a significant role in the defence of Canada in support of many military organizations, to include NORAD.”

Since their formal founding in May 1947, the Canadian Rangers continue to make significant contributions to Canada. Operating in many fields such as ground search and rescues, domestic operations, and training of fellow members of the CAF, the Canadian Rangers provide key support to Canadians (and North Pole residents) when and where needed.