REGENT Achieves First Flight of Squire Autonomous Defense Seaglider

REGENT has successfully completed the first ground-effect flight of Squire, an autonomous Seaglider drone specifically engineered for defense missions.

The milestone represents the first time a defense-specific wing-in-ground (WIG) craft has flown in the United States. This flight demonstration is part of an ongoing test campaign by the North Kingstown-based manufacturer, which has prioritized the Squire platform to address urgent maritime defense requirements. The development positions the U.S. to compete more effectively in the WIG technology sector, an area of increasing strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific region.

Seaglider vessels operate by flying on a cushion of air created within a wingspan of the water’s surface. This aerodynamically efficient method allows for long-range performance while remaining below line-of-sight radar. Squire is designed to reach speeds of 70 knots with a planned operational range exceeding 100 nautical miles. With a 50-pound payload capacity, the craft is intended to support a variety of operations including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), tailored logistics, search and rescue, and anti-submarine warfare.

Billy Thalheimer, Co-Founder and CEO of REGENT, said, “This successful flight milestone is a major success for our defense program and a strong signal of what Seaglider technology can deliver for the warfighter. There are no products in the market today that combine the speed and wave tolerance of Squire at such a compelling price point. This will revolutionize maritime warfare.”

The Squire platform is designed to operate across vast maritime areas without relying on traditional or vulnerable infrastructure. This flexibility is a core component of REGENT’s defense strategy, which aims to provide high-speed autonomous capabilities that can be deployed rapidly in contested environments.

Tom Huntley, General Manager of REGENT Defense, added, “Defense customers require platforms that can operate across wide maritime areas with speed, range, and mission flexibility, without relying on traditional and often vulnerable infrastructure. Squire is designed to meet that exact need. This demonstration shows real progress toward delivering a high-speed autonomous capability for missions such as ISR, tailored logistics, and anti-submarine warfare.”

The development of the Seaglider has gained high-level attention within the defense establishment. REGENT leadership recently presented the Squire platform to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. During the briefing, Hegseth highlighted the necessity of closing operational gaps in contested logistics and noted the importance of emerging defense companies delivering mission-ready capabilities with speed to support the warfighter.