REGENT advances Squire Seaglider drone toward mission readiness at Silent Swarm event

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• REGENT's participation in the elite Silent Swarm defense event advances its Seaglider platform toward mission-ready deployment for the warfighter.
• Squire, REGENT’s autonomous Seaglider drone, operated in multiple missions, highlighting its versatility and interconnectivity.  
• The event gave REGENT direct feedback from military and civilian experts across industry and the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy, sharpening Squire's readiness for real-world deployment.
• Learn more about REGENT Defense here.  

North Kingstown, R.I., Aug. 18, 2026 — REGENT, the developer and manufacturer of Seaglider™ vessels, today announced that it successfully demonstrated the capabilities of its autonomous Seaglider drone, Squire, at Silent Swarm, an elite military experimentation event sponsored by Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, Quantum and Battlefied Information Dominance (OUSW R&E QIBD) that took place July 13-24, 2026 across Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula, the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and their combined ranges, airspace, and water ways.

Silent Swarm brought together small, multi-domain uncrewed systems from across the military to test how well they can employ and defend against capabilities known as electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO), in real-world conditions. This includes signals such as Radar, Communications, Navigation infrared and directed energy capabilities. Squire partnered with various payloads for use in electronic attack, electronic protection, and electronic warfare support over 13 days of varying mission types, highlighting its versatility to meet the needs of multiple mission profiles and its ability to interconnect with existing and other frontier technologies.

"Silent Swarm gave us the chance to show key defense stakeholders exactly what our autonomous Seaglider drone, Squire, can do in an operationally relevant setting,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO, REGENT. “Our team has worked relentlessly to get us here, and this demonstration proves Squire is ready to deliver the capability our warfighters urgently need."

"I’ve seen how long it can take promising technology to reach the fleet," said Admiral William Moran, former Vice Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy and member of the REGENT Defense Advisory Board. "Squire's performance at Silent Swarm demonstrates a program moving at the speed our warfighters need. This is exactly the kind of capability and urgency the defense community should be paying attention to."

Squire, REGENT's Seaglider USA-V

Squire is a Seaglider USA-V (Unmanned Surface and Aerial Vehicle) drone capable of speeds up to 70 knots, a planned operational range exceeding 100 nautical miles, and a 50-pound configurable payload. Operating in ground effect, within a wingspan of the water's surface and below line-of-sight radar, Squire is designed to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); tailored logistics; search and rescue; and anti-submarine warfare.

Squire addresses a critical national security gap in the maritime domain, delivering a high-speed, long-range, low-signal platform that is highly versatile across mission types and interoperable with existing and emerging defense technologies. In April 2026, Squire achieved the first flight of a defense-specific wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft in the United States, a milestone that positions the U.S. to establish leadership over China in this critical and rapidly emerging technology domain. Its performance at Silent Swarm builds on that foundation, further validating Squire's readiness to support the joint force's evolving operational needs.  

Silent Swarm was led by NSWC Crane, in partnership with the Michigan National Guard, Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Army C5ISR Center, and the Air Force Test Center.

Growing REGENT Defense Business

Squire's participation in Silent Swarm builds on a period of rapid momentum for REGENT Defense. Earlier this year, REGENT completed live rescue and logistics missions with the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, including a dockside litter boarding, a beach extraction, and an open-water life raft rescue, validating Seaglider vessels for MEDEVAC and CASEVAC missions. REGENT leadership also briefed Squire and the broader Seaglider platform for U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his senior staff, who emphasized the urgent need to close operational gaps in maritime defense and called on companies like REGENT to deliver mission-ready capabilities with speed.  

REGENT holds a $15 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps and maintains formalized development relationships with U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center. The company has also forged defense agreements with allies across four continents, reflecting growing global demand for a maritime platform that combines speed, range, and low-signal operation at a cost no existing solution can match.  

For more information on REGENT Defense capabilities, visit defense.regentcraft.com.

About REGENT

REGENT is pioneering the future of maritime mobility through the development and manufacturing of Seaglider™ vessels, high-speed hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft that operate over the water within a wingspan of the surface, combining the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat. A dual use company based in Rhode Island, U.S., REGENT has secured global commercial orders valued at more than $10 billion from leading airline and ferry operators around the world, as well as $15 million in contracts with the U.S. Marine Corps. REGENT has raised more than $100 million from investors including 8090 Industries, Founders Fund, Japan Airlines, and Lockheed Martin.

REGENT Craft Press Team: regent@boldspace.com