REGENT has completed what it describes as the world’s first dedicated seaglider manufacturing facility as part of its effort to move the hybrid maritime vehicle from development into serial production.
The 255,000-square-foot (23,690-square-meter) plant is designed to support the production of REGENT’s Viceroy seaglider, a 12-passenger craft that combines elements of boats, hydrofoils, and aircraft.
It is located in Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
The company said the facility includes dedicated areas for structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery installation, systems testing, and waterfront acceptance trials.
REGENT has already invested more than $71 million in Rhode Island and employs more than 100 people ahead of the facility’s full production ramp-up.
The project is expected to create 300 jobs at the site over the next decade, with the potential to expand to 750 positions. Positions will span manufacturing, engineering, logistics, quality assurance, and operations.
“Every system, every tool, every layout decision was made with one goal: to produce the highest-quality Seaglider vessels in the world, consistently, at scale, and with the traceability that certification demands,” Mark Duchesne, Regent VP of Manufacturing & Supply Chain, said.
US Defense Manufacturing Expansion
The REGENT facility is part of a broader push to expand US maritime industrial capacity, driven by growing demand for commercial and naval vessels.
In June, unmanned surface vessel manufacturer MARTAC opened the MARTAC Innovation Center West in San Diego, California, creating a hub for research and development, systems integration, testing, and customer engagement.
In May, UK-based SubSea Craft announced plans to establish operations in Virginia Beach to strengthen ties with US defense customers and maritime industry partners.
That same month, Ultra Maritime opened an expanded facility in North Carolina to support production and engineering work for naval radar programs, including the Sea Raider family and the US Navy’s Next Generation Surface Search Radar.
Earlier, in March, Hadrian opened a large-scale manufacturing facility in Alabama dedicated to producing components for Virginia-class attack submarines and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
