REGENT to launch defense division, autonomous wing-in-ground military vehicle
On July 16, 2025, REGENT announced the launch of an entirely new division dedicated entirely to developing military applications for its wing-in-ground technology.
The new business unit will be called REGENT Defense and will develop a military version of the firm’s ground-in-wing vehicle, the Viceroy seaglider, as well as creating new products designed from scratch for military use.
The militarized Viceroy will feature hybrid propulsion instead of being electric-only, which will boost its range considerably to 1,400 nautical miles (2,592 km). REGENT is also using its proprietary flight control software as the basis to provide the vehicle with fully autonomous capabilities.
The Rhode Island-based startup also announced the development of an entirely new vehicle, called Squire, which it has defined as an Unmanned Surface & Air Vehicle (USA-V).
The Squire will be one quarter of the size of the Viceroy. It will also be autonomous and capable of delivering payloads of up to 50 lbs (22kgs) at speeds of 70 knots (80 mph / 128.7. km/h) over distances of up to 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers).
The announcement was made by REGENT’s founder and CEO, Billy Thalheimer during the REINDUSTRIALIZE conference, taking place in Detroit, Michigan, between July 16 and1 7, 2025.
Ground-in-wing vehicles (also called ground-effect-vehicles) use a physical phenomenon that enhances the aerodynamic performance of craft flying at very low altitude over bodies of water. The combination of low observability (also to radars) and high speeds makes the concept quite interesting to military planners, particularly in the face of renewed geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
REGENT has already been working in collaboration with the US Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to evaluate the use of wing-in-ground craft in amphibious operations.
In March 2025, REGENT and the USMC signed a $10 million expansion of this joint program.
Frontline logistics, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), search and rescue and intelligence collection are among the uses being considered for this new generation of ground-effect vehicles.
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The post REGENT to launch defense division, autonomous wing-in-ground military vehicle appeared first on AeroTime.
On July 16, 2025, REGENT announced the launch of an entirely new division dedicated entirely to developing military…
The post REGENT to launch defense division, autonomous wing-in-ground military vehicle appeared first on AeroTime.
