Why flying boats may retain a reconnaissance niche

Could satellites and drones lead to a return of flying boats such as the Catalina or Sunderland?

Possibly, but the stronger conclusion is that satellite and drone limits preserve a niche for some form of crewed maritime reconnaissance.

The panel sees possible future flying-boat concepts but does not expect a straightforward return of the Catalina or Sunderland. Satellites offer broad surveillance but follow predictable orbits and have limited time over a chosen area. Drones can loiter, yet their links and control systems may be degraded in a hostile electromagnetic environment. Those limitations preserve a role for crewed maritime reconnaissance, though the eventual aircraft need not resemble a wartime flying boat.