Why uncrewed floatplanes are unlikely to return

Will navies return to uncrewed floatplanes, flying boats, or floating rotorcraft?

Probably not, because helicopters and other rotary-wing systems are easier to recover and no longer require the ship to stop for a water pickup.

Floatplanes were effective when navies lacked a better way to launch a long-range scout from a small deck. Modern rotary-wing aircraft can hover and recover directly to a moving ship, avoiding the slowdown, water landing, and crane evolution required by a floatplane. There is little reason for an uncrewed version to bring the older arrangement back. The Walrus's pusher engine placement also illustrates how much design effort was once required merely to protect propulsion from salt spray.