Despite the general lack of Soviet development of naval aviation during World War II, Beriev went on to become arguably the finest producer of military flying boats in the post-war era. Their first major design during this time was the Be-6 'Madge' and whose twin tail and gull wings gave it a strong resemblance to the PBM Mariner. Among the features of the Be-6 were a retractable radar scanner radome aft of the hull, remote controlled turrets, and the capability of carrying diverse armament including mines, depth charges, and torpedoes. The Be-6 soon became the most widely used flying boat of the Naval Air Fleet where it performedmaritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine duties (aided by the addition of a magnetic anomaly detector in many aircraft). With the introduction of more capable land-based patrol aircraft, the Be-6 was retired during the 1960s but continued flying for search and rescue (SAR), fishery patrol, and transport duties.

The LL-143 prototype flew for the first time sometime in 1947 entering production as the Be-6. No other variants were built and it was replaced by the similar Be-12 after the design of a jet-powered successor, the Be-10, proved inferior in service.