Electric wing-in-ground-effect aircraft manufacturer REGENT has given an update on the work to build and test its Seaglider platforms in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island,
“The Viceroy prototype keeps expanding its flight envelope, progressing from its float campaign through foiling and now working toward full flight later this year,” said the company. “When the Viceroy prototype takes to the air, it will mark the largest all-electric wing-in-ground-effect flight ever achieved. REGENT has also advanced Squire, its autonomous Seaglider drone, which recently completed its first wing-in-ground-effect flight, a milestone that proves out the platform’s autonomy systems and lays the groundwork for future defence and commercial applications.”
This year, REGENT finished construction on the world’s first Seaglider Manufacturing Facility in Quonset Business Park. The 255,000-square-foot site, includes dedicated areas for structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery and systems installation, and water-based test and acceptance operations, with direct waterfront access for sea trials, said the company. “Through Rhode Island’s Qualified Jobs Program,REGENT has pledged to create 300 jobs, with the potential to grow to 750 positions, over the next decade — high-quality roles in manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, logistics, and operations. In recognition of the facility’s significance to the region, local officials formally renamed the site 1 Seaglider Way, cementing Quonset’s storied legacy in defense manufacturing and maritime industry as the foundation for REGENT’s next chapter.”
REGENT Defense is also developing a full family of Seaglider systems for maritime national security missions, spanning a defence version of REGENT’s crewed, all-electric Viceroy vessel, a fully autonomous Viceroy variant, hybrid-propulsion versions capable of routes up to1,400 nautical miles, and Squire, REGENT’s smaller autonomous Seaglider drone. £The flexible, scalable platform provides unmatched solutions for missions including contested logistics, MEDEVAC and CASEVAC, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and launched effects,” said the company. The Viceroy prototype completed multiple successful on-water demonstrations as part of its USD15 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.
REGENT named has also names The Twenty Five as its first U.S. delivery and launch partner, bringing Seaglider service closer to reality for coastal routes across the Northeast and Southeast. In Latin America, REGENT secured an order for 10 Viceroy Seaglider vessels from Synerjet, an aviation services provider, to serve high-traffic coastal routes including Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. And in the Middle East, ADNOC Logistics and Services selected REGENT’s Viceroy Seaglider for a proof-of-concept trial to transport personnel to and from offshore energy infrastructure.
REGENT has also extended its partnerships across cargo missions. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DHL Expressto explore deploying all-electric Seaglider vessels for short-haul, coastal, and island cargo logistics.
For more information
https://www.regentcraft.com/news/seaglider-vessels-rhode-island-lead-the-next-era-of-maritime-innovation