The major objectives of the CEA‐DAM laser program is to determine the various requirements to achieve thermonuclear fusion in laboratory. We report here recent results obtained at Centre d’Etudes de Limeil‐Valenton on high density X‐Ray implosions, radiative transfer processes, hydrodynamic instabilities and laser‐plasma interaction involved in cavity physics. Ignition and a moderate gain appears to be achievable with a laser energy of about 1.5−2 MJ delivered at &lgr;=0, 35 &mgr;m with a shaped pulse (duration∼16 ns). The construction of such a laser is realizable and a conceptual design is under preparation. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.