Regent craft launching at Quonset Point and sea trials on Narragansett Bay, RI. (Regent )
Thalheimer said Regent identified the "capability gap" in the logistics of moving troops and supplies between island chains in the Indo-Pacific.
"We want something affordable and mass-produced. We do not have enough boats, the nation is working on our shipbuilding capabilities, we want something easy to operate and easy to crew, because it currently takes two years to train a pilot," he said.
The seaglider travels up to 180 miles at up to 180mph speed. It can take off and land on water, "eliminating the need for vulnerable runway infrastructure," according to the company.
The aircraft is all-electric, which Thalheimer says makes it easier to refuel anywhere there is electricity, rather than having to transport in gas.
"You think about a gallon of fuel today, you know, $6. If we're buying it in the U.S., which can go to 100 to $150 when it's delivered to those, disparate island chains," he said.
Regent’s Viceroy, which holds 12 passengers with a 65-foot wingspan, completed a successful sea test on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay earlier this month.
Regent aims to use its seagliders for resupply and medevac in theaters where travel between missions and bases is over the sea. (Regent)
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"We are incredibly proud to extend our collaboration with the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab and continue to validate how REGENT’s high-speed, low-signature, low-cost seagliders will enable defense missions," said Tom Huntley, VP of Government Relations and Defense at REGENT. "The second phase of our agreement will demonstrate their use cases for contested logistics operations in the maritime domain, fulfilling a critical national security need."
The company has garnered over $90 million in investment from investors including 8090 Industries, Founders Fund, Japan Airlines and Lockheed Martin.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/regent-seaglider-marine-corps