Regent Craft has opened the world's first Seaglider manufacturing facility at an event attended by more than 600 high profile leaders across government, defence and business, and featuring live flight demos of the Viceroy prototype and Squire Seaglider drone.

This event marks the first time the public has seen the Viceroy Seaglider prototype fly in ground effect live. Seaglider vessels are high-speed hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect (WIG) crafts, a new category of maritime mobility.

“We proved the technology and the demand; now we build,” states Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO, Regent. “With $340 million raised to date and 1 Seaglider Way officially open, we're moving from prototype to production and putting Seaglider vessels in customers' hands. This is what reindustrialising America looks like: a cutting-edge facility, a first-rate team and a product the world wants.”

The factory opens in response to growing defence contracts and commercial demand across the Viceroy and Squire Seaglider product lines.

The newly opened facility will serve as the global production hub, helping Regent to fulfil its growing commercial order book across six continents and support the company's growing defence business, including $20 million in contracts with the US Marine Corps. The layout has been designed to support phased capacity increases as production scales, without compromising safety or certification objectives.

The event also signals the official start of Seaglider manufacturing operations. The 255,000 sq ft Seaglider manufacturing facility, located at 1 Seaglider Way in Quonset Business Park, Rhode Island, will deliver the first Viceroy Seaglider vessels to customers as early as late 2027 and build up to rate production of 75 Viceroy vessels and 300 Squire Seaglider drones per year.

The 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 continued sea trials.

The location of the manufacturing facility offers proximity to Rhode Island's skilled maritime and manufacturing workforce. Regent has pledged to create up to 750 jobs over the next decade and has already reinvested $71.5 million into the local economy.

Rhode Island's Quonset Business Park, with its storied legacy in defence manufacturing and maritime industry, provides the ideal home for this next chapter. The site was formally renamed 1 Seaglider Way earlier this year, a recognition by local officials of the facility's significance to the region's future.

Furthermore, Regent is aligned with the broader focus on rebuilding the American maritime industrial base and the future of American shipbuilding. Through partnership with the Department of War and aligned with the Trump Administration's initiatives on manufacturing, restoring American maritime dominance and the Maritime Action Plan, Regent is helping strengthen economic, military, industrial and national security for future generations.

Event Highlights

Guests boarded ferries on Narragansett Bay to watch Regent Craft's two Seagliders vessels in action: the full-scale Viceroy prototype and the Squire Seaglider drone. During the on-water demonstration, both vessels showed all three modes of operation: float, foil and fly. The event marked the fifth flight of the Viceroy prototype.

Back at the factory, guests took tours of the facility, watched motor and AI perception technology demonstrations, operated the Seaglider simulators, boarded the full-scale cabin mock-up and networked with partners and suppliers.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together leaders from aviation, defence and finance.