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U.S. Marines look deeper into using all-electric seagliders

Artist concept of REGENT seaglider prototype for military use. [Credit: Image courtesy of REGENT Craft]

 

 

The U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab has committed $10 million to a second-phase exploratory collaboration with Rhode Island-based REGENT Craft to pursue the development of all-electric seagliders for defense operations in contested logistics. The high-speed, ground-effect craft, which can take off and land on water and flies within one wingspan of the surface, is aimed at traveling up to 180 mph on routes up to 180 miles. It looks so cool and useful, but is it really an aircraft?

The prototype REGENT vehicle is named Viceroy. REGENT (the company's name stands for Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport) is developing versions for both civilian and military uses. For the military, one of its many benefits is that it can remain below radar and above sonar. Its quiet electric propulsion system also minimizes heat and its infrared signature. It is fully rechargeable from shore or ship, ensuring a reliable and resilient energy supply, and also boasts a simple design with fewer parts, which means significantly reduced operating and maintenance costs compared to legacy aviation and maritime platforms. Using the ground effect when flying substantially increases the seaglider's efficiency, because the vehicle's glide is supported, in part, by the reactions of the air against the surface of the water.

REGENT Viceroy seaglider render. [Credit: Image courtesy of REGENT Craft]

 

 

The Viceroy seaglider can accommodate 12 passengers and two crew members. It can carry 3,000 lb of payload in this passenger configuration and has 88 cu. ft of luggage/gear space. It is 65 ft wide, 55 ft long, and 18 ft high. Max takeoff weight is 15,000 lb. It has three modes (float, foil, and fly) and is meant to operate exclusively over water. Its design includes 12 electric motor propellers, carbon fiber composites, and advanced automated vehicle controls.

VIDEO: REGENT Seagliders: A perfect fit for coastal defense missions. [Credit: REGENT Craft]

Viceroy uses two retractable hydrofoils to help it gain lift for a low-drag takeoff. According to a recent article in The Air Current, Viceroy is a maritime vessel, not an aircraft. "The classification of Regent's fully electric seaglider as a boat -- or, more precisely, a Type A wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) craft -- is central to the company's business model," the article states, "because it enables a much more affordable and expedient certification pathway than is available to commercial aircraft."

According to REGENT, "Seagliders are Type A Wing-In Ground Effect (WIG) craft, designed to always operate within ground effect, a phenomenon that occurs within one wingspan of the surface of the water and provides significant aerodynamic efficiency. This means seagliders are regulated as maritime vessels, in line with guidelines established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as well as U.S. laws."

The US. military's renewed agreement with REGENT follows the successful completion of the first phase with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, a $4.75 million contract. REGENT says the first phase "included 12 deliverables that demonstrated the technical feasibility of seagliders, starting with the testing of a quarter-scale prototype and culminating in the successful start of sea trials of the full-scale Viceroy prototype earlier this month (March 2025)." The second phase of work will examine seaglider capabilities across missions, including contested logistics and medevac/casevac.

In January 2025, REGENT broke ground on a manufacturing facility in the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, RI, which will come online in 2026 and house seaglider component manufacturing, vehicle final assembly, and pre-delivery testing for the Viceroy seaglider.

VIDEO: Hydrofoils provide wave tolerance, comfort, and maneuverability for seagliders. [Credit REGENT Craft]

In March, REGENT began sea trials of its full-scale Viceroy prototype in Narragansett Bay, RI, and the company also submitted its Viceroy Design Basis Agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard, advancing the seaglider maritime certification pathway. Overall, REGENT says it has raised more than $90 million from investors including 8090 Industries, Founders Fund, Japan Airlines, and Lockheed Martin.

Beyond military, REGENT is pursuing a host of applications for its seaglider vehicles, including as commercial island-to-island or island-to-shore ferries, cargo transporters, tourist vehicles, search and rescue crafts, and offshore oil crew transporters.

Learn more at regentcraft.com.

Sources: REGENT Craft, The Air Current

Published April 2025

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