[[Ted Stevens]] was a United States Senator from Alaska who, along with Senators [[Harry Reid]] and [[Daniel Inouye]], was instrumental in securing the initial funding for the [[Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Applications Program]] (AAWSAP), the precursor to the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP).[^1] ### Role in Funding AATIP As a long-serving and powerful senator, Stevens was a key member of the bipartisan trio that controlled congressional spending for "black budget" programs within the [[Pentagon]]. His support was crucial in securing the $22 million appropriation that established AAWSAP in 2007.[^1] Senator Stevens' interest in the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena|UAP]] topic may have been influenced by his own experiences as a pilot. During World War II, he flew transport planes for the Army Air Corps over the Himalayas, a region known for strange aerial phenomena. He openly admitted to having witnessed a "foo fighter"—the term used by Allied pilots to describe UAP—during one of his missions.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.