Why escort drones are unlikely to return as seaplanes

Will catapult-launched reconnaissance seaplanes return as drones on corvettes, frigates, or destroyers?

Probably not; net recovery and expendability suit small drones, while short-takeoff and tiltrotor designs look more likely.

Corvettes, frigates, and destroyers would gain little from reviving the catapult-launched seaplane as a reconnaissance drone. Small uncrewed aircraft can be recovered in nets or treated as expendable, removing the need to land on the sea. A drone large enough to justify a floatplane recovery system would consume valuable shipboard space and overlap with aircraft better operated from a carrier. Satellite, high-altitude uncrewed, crewed-aircraft, and local drone reconnaissance already provide several layers. Short-takeoff or tiltrotor drones are more likely than a return to the classic catapult seaplane.