US Air Force Denies Existence Of Santa Claus

The US Air Force (USAF) earlier this year publicly denied the existence of Santa Claus on social media - just as he was preparing to put on the red coat to deliver presents around the world.

The USAF was trying to mediate a Twitter feud between two of its bases in North Dakota and Missouri when Santa - also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle or Father Christmas - was invoked.

The Whiteman Air Force Base and Minot Air Force Base had been bickering over which base is better when the official Air Force Twitter account stepped in:

"We didn't want to have to do this, but if you 2 can't get along we must...Santa will bring you nothing this year... becuase [sic] he isn't real!"

But the USAF immediately backtracked from their ludicrous statement as the Washington Examiner picked up the story, tweeting that they "took that one too far" and that "Santa is real".

They also added that they had been “bluffing” in order to get the two bases “in line” and that the North American Aerospace Defense Command tracks Santa's sleigh ride every year with its satellites.

There have been allegations that the USAF will now be on Santa's naughty list, and therefore receive nothing but coal in their stocking.

The staff at Royal Air Force Fylingdales have told Forces News that they are looking forward to tracking Santa this year, as they have done since their radar was established in 1963.