Marines Back $20 Million Flying Boat That Could Skim 30 Feet Above Waves

The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab will add another $5 million to its Seaglider project, taking the partnership with REGENT Craft to $19.25 million (about $20 million when rounded). The funding, announced Sept. 30 by the Rhode Island company building the Viceroy Seaglider, supports a fourth phase of demonstrations plus command-and-control work with six planned deliverables, according to The Defense Post. The contract focuses on testing the craft to help move troops and supplies between small units spread across islands—an objective tied to the Marine Corps’ Force Design update. REGENT says the wing-in-ground effect Seaglider flies roughly 30 feet above water, using hull, hydrofoils and ground-effect modes, with regulators treating it as a boat overseen by the Coast Guard.