NORAD’s Santa Tracker is now online with a timer in the bottom, righthand corner counting down the days and minutes until Christmas. Photo taken from the Internet

The United States military is planning once again to embark on one of its biggest peace-time patrols each year.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command will once again be tracking Santa Claus’ journey across the globe. The NORAD Tracks Santa website, www.noradsanta.org, has launched featuring a mobile version, a holiday countdown, new games and daily activities and more. The website is available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Official NORAD Tracks Santa apps are also available in the Windows, Apple and Google Play stores, so parents and children can count down the days until Santa’s launch on their smart phones and tablets.Tracking opportunities are also offered on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+. Santa followers just need to type “@noradsanta” into each search engine to get started.

New this year, the website features Santa’s elves in the North Pole Village. NORAD Tracks Santa is introducing the newest elf and asking the public to help choose the perfect name for him. Details can be found via NORAD Tracks Santa social media or in the “Name the Elf” video in Santa’s North Pole Movie Theater at www.noradsanta.org.

Starting at 1:01 a.m. Central Time on Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa make preparations for his flight. NORAD’s Santa Cams will stream videos on the website as Santa makes his way over various locations.

Then, at 5 a.m. Central Time, trackers worldwide can speak with a live phone operator to inquire as to Santa’s whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or by sending an email to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com. Any time on Dec. 24, Windows Phone users can ask Cortana for Santa’s location, and OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to find Santa.

It all started in 1955 when a local media advertisement directed children to call Santa direct – only the number was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the Crew Commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center.