JAERI leaders believe that, even at a constant budget level, it might 

 be possible to build FER on a unilateral basis. The FER would be a 

 considerably more ambitious project than TPCX. 



The Japanese technical leaders have a uniformly negative view about 

 an experiment with only plasma physics objectives, such as some TFCX 

 options, as an appropriate next-step experiment. They believe that 

 engineering and technology objectives must have a major role in their 

 next-step experiment. The view was expressed by JAERI program leaders 

 that TPCX is seen as a U.S. solution to a U.S. situation — TFTR is 

 operating and there is a need to move ahead towards the next step to 

 maintain momentum, but the budget is constrained. Hence, TPCX, with 

 the promise of early results, was seen as a good U.S. tactic. The 

 Japanese believe that an experiment with more ambitious engineering 

 and technology objectives would be appropriate for international 

 collaboration. The JAERI program leaders made it clear that it would 

 be inappropriate for the United States to ask Japan to collaborate on 

 TPCX in the large-scale sense defined in the preceding section. They 

 left open the possibility of cooperation, implying a more modest 

 undertaking. 



A possible joint TFCX-FER program emerged from discussions with 

 JAERI leaders: 



o Japan would cooperate with the United States on TFCX by 



accepting U.S. design and contributing certain Japanese-made 

 components. Japanese interest here is limited to component 

 technologies relevant to FER. JAERI leaders would consider 

 this work as part of their own technology development program. 

 Although the magnitude of the Japanese contribution was not 

 explicitly discussed, there was a distinct impression that a 

 figure of 10 percent or less was meant. 



o The United States would reciprocate by cooperating, in the 

 above sense, on FER. 



o Japan and the United States would cooperate on their respective 

 technology development programs in support of PER. 



The JAERI leaders feel that it would be possible for either side to 

 obtain technical benefit from a collaborative project located in 

 another country, but not without inconvenience. Experience in 

 fabrication could be equitably shared by a balanced procurement 

 program. Construction and operating experience could be obtained by 

 long-term assignment of personnel. 



A number of problem areas that would be associated with a 

 collaborative project were identified — patents, different budget 

 mechanisms and fiscal years, difficulty in controlling delays, 

 personnel policies, and so forth. 



Cost-sharing on TFCX at any appreciable level might impede the FER 

 and thus delay Japanese progress toward a tokamak reactor unless there 

 were some high-level agreement between Japan and the United States 

 that would increase Japan's budget by the amount needed for its work 

 on TFCX. It was also suggested at one point that international 



