In a world of uncertainty, there is one critical mission the North American Aerospace Defence Command can count on every year: tracking Santa Claus.

On Sunday, millions of people will log onto the specialized website and social media channels that depict the jolly old elf害羞草研究所檚 magical journey as he and his reindeer visit children around the world.

More than 60 years after it began, the Santa tracker is a beloved holiday tradition and a powerful public-relations opportunity for the binational agency dedicated to defending North American airspace.

Informing the public about Norad害羞草研究所檚 mission the rest of the year has been a priority for commander Gen. Glen VanHerck, and in that regard, the dramatic start to 2023 came with an unexpected opportunity.

On Jan. 27, Norad learned that a high-altitude surveillance balloon from China was heading toward North America. It was detected entering Alaskan airspace the next day and tracked as it passed over Canada on Jan. 30 and 31.

Norad quietly collected data on the balloon until U.S. fighter jets shot it down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, when the public learned of its existence for the first time. American jets took down three more unidentified objects over the next several weeks, making international headlines.

害羞草研究所淚t raised the awareness of Norad害羞草研究所檚 mission,害羞草研究所� VanHerck said in a recent interview from Norad headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.

害羞草研究所淚t raised the awareness of the domain awareness gaps. It raised the awareness that we need to share and collaborate globally on potential threats approaching North America.害羞草研究所�

Those gaps included the technological 害羞草研究所� a lack of long-range radar in the Far North 害羞草研究所� and the human.

害羞草研究所淭he (intelligence) community knew it was there,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淥ne of my fellow combatant commanders knew it was there, but didn害羞草研究所檛 pass me the information until the 27th of January.害羞草研究所�

VanHerck refused to say which commander knew about the balloon last January, but said, 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think that would happen again.害羞草研究所�

Norad害羞草研究所檚 internal processes and procedures have not changed since the balloon incident, VanHerck said. As far as he害羞草研究所檚 concerned, things went as they should have once the potential threat was detected.

Still, he has a wish list for the agency that Santa Claus is not likely to deliver this year.

害羞草研究所淚 lack infrastructure to operate from, I lack access to forces that are organized, trained, equipped and ready to execute the mission. And that害羞草研究所檚 not only in Canada, that害羞草研究所檚 in the United States,害羞草研究所� he said.

During President Joe Biden害羞草研究所檚 visit to Ottawa last March, he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that an Arctic over-the-horizon radar system is expected to be up and running in 2028.

That害羞草研究所檚 part of Canada害羞草研究所檚 plan to spend $38.6 billion on Norad modernization over 20 years, announced in 2022.

VanHerck won害羞草研究所檛 be in command when the new radar system comes online. The Biden administration named his successor, Lt.-Gen. Gregory Guillot, back in May, in a process that has since stalled in the U.S. Senate.

Guillot made headlines during his Senate confirmation hearings in July, when he pledged to have tough conversations with his Canadian counterparts about what one senator called insufficient military spending.

VanHerck said he has had those 害羞草研究所渇rank conversations害羞草研究所� with the Canadian defence chief, Gen. Wayne Eyre, and defence ministers during his time in Colorado Springs.

害羞草研究所淚 would tell you that I don害羞草研究所檛 think achieving a specific percentage of GDP or anything is a marker that necessarily means we害羞草研究所檙e doing the right thing,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 think we need to look at the threat 害羞草研究所� we need to look at our national security and we need to fund based on that.害羞草研究所�

Norad also needs clear policy direction from both governments, he said. Canada害羞草研究所檚 defence policy 害羞草研究所淪trong, Secure, Engaged害羞草研究所� dates to 2017 and an update that was set to be released in the fall of 2022 has not yet materialized.

VanHerck said he害羞草研究所檇 like to see that 害羞草研究所渟ooner than later.害羞草研究所�

In the meantime, he害羞草研究所檚 been asking each country to produce a list of critical infrastructure that needs to be protected so Norad can prioritize its resources. It took around two years of prodding to get the Biden administration to provide information about critical defence infrastructure alone.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e too slow. We害羞草研究所檙e not agile enough in policy decisions and modernization and acquisitions,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l leave very proud of what the members of Norad and United States Northern Command have been able to accomplish, but still disappointed that we害羞草研究所檙e not going fast enough.害羞草研究所�

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