288 



total but rather somewhat more since some parallel effort was needed to 

 insure that all involved acquired expertise in the key scientific and tech- 

 nology areas. We have concluded that for fusion the advantages of interna- 

 tional collaboration outweigh the disadvantages and it has a key role in our 

 Program Plan. 



According to the NAS Report, the major factor facilitating international 

 cooperation is the recognition by both the Governments of the leading fusion 

 programs and by the technical community that a window in time for large- 

 scale collaboration is now open. Fusion also has unique attributes which 

 facilitate collaboration. These include the unclassified nature of the 

 research, the long timescale before commercialization, the 30 year history 

 of cooperation, and the large number of long standing personal relationships 

 which have grown out of that history. Such relationships help to develop 

 trust and credibility. One factor necessary for international collaboration 

 is the maintenance of a strong national program so that there is something 

 of value to contribute. Potential inhibiting factors are commercial and 

 defense concerns for some of the evolving state-of-the-art fusion technology. 



Impact of International Cooperation on Research Priorities 



The Magnetic Fusion Program Plan is directed toward providing the U.S. with 

 the scientific and technology base for fusion energy in a way and pace 

 suited for U.S. national needs. International cooperation is used as a means 

 of enhancing the productivity of U.S. funds and efforts devoted to this 

 field. 



