REGENT Craft has completed a 255,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility at Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, R.I., establishing what the company describes as the world's first dedicated seaglider production facility.
The facility will serve as the production hub for REGENT's seaglider vessels, including the 12-passenger Viceroy seaglider and the company's Squire seaglider drone. The company said the facility will support both its commercial backlog and defense programs, including contracts with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Seagliders are high-speed wing-in-ground effect craft that operate in three modes. The vessels begin on their hulls, transition onto hydrofoils as speed increases, and then fly just above the water's surface within a wingspan of the water. REGENT has positioned the technology as a hybrid between conventional marine transportation and aviation.
The facility includes areas for structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery and systems installation, and water-based testing and acceptance. Located within Quonset Business Park, the site provides direct waterfront access for vessel testing and sea trials.
According to REGENT, the facility has been designed to support phased production increases as manufacturing scales. The company said the site will anchor a domestic supply chain supporting serial production of its vessels.
REGENT reports a commercial order book exceeding $10 billion, with customers spanning six continents. In addition to commercial applications, the company has expanded its defense business, securing approximately $15 million in contracts with the Marine Corps.
The company said it plans to create 300 jobs at the facility over the next decade through Rhode Island's Qualified Jobs Program, with the potential to expand employment to as many as 750 positions. Positions are expected to include manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, logistics, and operations roles.
REGENT said it has already invested more than $71 million in Rhode Island and created over 100 jobs prior to the facility's completion.
The facility's completion was announced during the REindustrialize conference in Detroit, where REGENT also unveiled a digital model of the production site, a manufacturing-floor simulation, and a seaglider flight simulator showcasing the vessel's float, foil, and fly operating modes.
Quonset Business Park, long associated with maritime, defense, and industrial manufacturing activity in Rhode Island, will now serve as the global production center for REGENT's seaglider program as the company prepares for commercial vessel production.
