According to sources at Lake Engineering, the new system will be flight tested yet this week and fully operational on Dec. 24.

"To many, this might seem like a dramatically short testing and delivery timeline," said Lake's president, Steve Magnuson. "However, as part of the agreement between Lake and the NFC&N division, Santa will be extending us the use of his Relativity Cloud. This is the same combination of complex time and space calculations which enable him to make 6 months of toy deliveries in a single evening. By deploying those calculations at our Long Lake, MN, facility, we can complete 5 weeks worth of work in what the outside world will see as just 10 days."

Though Lake is not allowed to comment on any of the nav system's design specifics, a source at NPFC & N who is authorized to speak for Rudolph has assured all that the new avionics implant with its wireless sleigh-control interface can be installed as a direct replacement for his existing nose module.

Founded in 1951, Lake Engineering produces precision-machined parts and assemblies for most of the world's leading aerospace firms. For decades the components it produces in Long Lake, MN, have been in flight or orbit constantly somewhere around the globe. More information regarding Lake's work on the upgrades to Santa's 2009 sleigh please contact company president Steve Magnuson via the firm's web site at www.lakeengineering.com.