REGENT Briefs Secretary of War on Seaglider Defense Capabilities

North Kingstown, RI, Feb. 10, 2026 — Members of REGENT's leadership team met yesterday with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his staff to brief them on REGENT’s Seaglider technology and its role in the future of maritime operations.

REGENT Co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer, Co-founder and CTO Mike Klinker, and General Manager of REGENT Defense Tom Huntley presented “Squire,” REGENT Defense’s autonomous Seaglider drone, and discussed how Seaglider vessels can enable a range of critical missions for the warfighter. These include contested logistics, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in challenging maritime environments.

During the discussion, Secretary Hegseth emphasized the urgent need to close operational gaps in areas such as contested logistics and counternarcotics, highlighting the importance of emerging defense companies like REGENT moving at speed to deliver mission-ready capabilities to the field.

The meeting took place at the historic Seabee Museum in Quonset, RI, highlighting the connection between America’s maritime heritage and the next generation of defense technology.

“Today’s briefing with Secretary Hegseth and senior staff shows that our military leadership is invested in fielding new technologies to fill critical gaps in maritime defense operations, and we’re proud to deliver Seaglider vessels to meet that urgent need,” Thalheimer said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the US Marine Corps to develop our portfolio of REGENT Defense Seaglider systems and deliver this capability to the warfighter as soon as possible.”  

“Since we launched REGENT Defense, we’ve seen incredible traction with the U.S. Department of War and allies and partners around the world, from Taiwan to the Philippines to the U.K. and beyond,” Huntley said. “The signal is clear, and we’re moving quickly to develop, demonstrate, and deliver this transformative technology at scale.”  

About REGENT Defense

REGENT Defense is addressing a critical national security gap in the maritime domain by delivering high-speed, long-range, low-signal Seaglider vessels, which provide the warfighter with a flexible and survivable option for contested logistics, MEDEVAC, ISR, and other mission-critical operations. In addition to a defense variant of REGENT’s commercial, all-electric, crewed Viceroy Seaglider vessel, REGENT Defense is developing a broader product line that includes a fully autonomous Viceroy vessel, hybrid Seaglider configurations, and Squire, an autonomous Seaglider USA-V (Unmanned Surface and Aerial Vehicle) drone.  

Manufacturing in America

REGENT will manufacture its Seaglider vessels at its headquarters in Quonset, Rhode Island, where a new 255,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is coming online this year. The factory will support scaled production while helping revitalize American shipbuilding and strengthen the nation’s domestic industrial base for next-generation maritime systems.

About REGENT

REGENT is pioneering the future of maritime mobility through the development and manufacturing of SeagliderTM 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