The Special Competitive Studies Project’s (SCSP) President, Ylli Bajraktari, and Associate Director for Fusion, Nicholas Furst, reflect on the United States’ role in the global fusion space and stress that international collaboration and co-ordination are crucial for commercial fusion energy. The global race for fusion energy began in December 2022, when researchers at the US National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved ignition for the first time. That experiment, which released more energy than was put into the target, proved that an energy-positive fusion reaction was no longer an abstraction confined to theory or simulation. Indeed, the implications extended far beyond science. The first nation to achieve commercial fusion energy will gain a concrete advantage in energy security, industrial competitiveness, and geopolitical influence. For the US, that prospect represents both a monumental opportunity and a mounting challenge. China has already moved decisively, channelling resources into fusion infrastructure, talent pipelines, and supply chains. The US, while bursting with innovation, private investment, and scientific know-how, remains hampered by misaligned budgets and ageing public facilities. If the US hopes to …