During World War II, Japan, like most other nations with maritime operations, maintained a large and capable fleet of seaplanes. The United States lost interest, however. The U.S. military gave up its seaplanes for four reasons: First, World War II ended with a network of long runways in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. This made the seaplane’s ability to land on water seem less relevant. Second, the “next generation” of seaplanes, the R3Y Tradewind and P6M Seamaster, both ran into development problems. Third, the U.S. Navy, faced with a shrinking budget, chose to prioritize carriers and ballistic missile submarines over other platforms and missions. Fourth, and finally, without Navy funding, no other service was going to fund seaplane development from scratch. The last American military seaplane flight took place in 1967, although the Coast Guard used them until 1983.
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