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 (REGENT, North Kingstown, R.I., U.S.) has broken ground for its first Seaglider Manufacturing Facility located in North Kingstown’s Quonset Business Park, putting it within proximity of defense and marine manufacturers like Electric Boat and Anduril. Coming online in 2026, the 255,000-square-foot facility will house seaglider component manufacturing, vehicle final assembly and pre-delivery testing for the company’s 12-passenger Viceroy seaglider, which will feature composites via the composites fabricator and engineering firm Moore Brothers Co. (Bristol, R.I., U.S.).

Viceroy is a 55-foot-long all-electric seaglider that operates exclusively over water in one of three modes: hull, hydrofoil or flight in ground effect. According to REGENT, seagliders have 160 nautical mile range with existing battery technology (which is upgradeable to more than 400 nautical mile range with next generation battery technology). The seaglider features a wingspan of 65 feet and offers 3,000 pounds of payload in the passenger configuration.

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REGENT reports that it has been building up to this milestone since its move to Rhode Island in 2022 — bringing it closer to diverse coastal testing environments, strong naval architecture and composites expertise. Since then the company reports it has grown its global commercial order book to more than $9 billion across six continents and established REGENT as a trusted defense contractor with the U.S. Marine Corps, showing a strong demand signal for seagliders across different regions and mission sets.  

With the development of a full-scale, passenger-carrying seaglider prototype, REGENT anticipates the start of sea trials in the coming months, as well as to make history with its first human seaglider flight this year.  

REGENT has received $1 million from the Rhode Island Commerce Department under the First Wave Closing Fund Act, and the state has further committed to investing $3 million under the Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credit Act.

In addition, REGENT has committed to creating 300 jobs, with the potential for up to 750, over the next 10 years, unlocking up to $13 million in incentives under Rhode Island’s Qualified Jobs Program. Moreover, the company is contributing to amplifying the state’s maritime manufacturing industry, helping anchor Rhode Island as the global hub for the Blue Economy.

REGENT expects the Seaglider Manufacturing Facility to expand local impact and meet global demand for seagliders for years to come.