As LNG carriers continue to increase in size and carrying capacity, accurately predicting sloshing loads within cargo tanks remains a key challenge for containment system design. Recent advances in numerical modelling are improving understanding of how internal tank structures influence fluid motion and impact pressures, supporting safer and more efficient LNG transport operations.

As ships increasingly rely on appendages such as rudders, fins, and stabilising foils to enhance manoeuvring and seakeeping performance, accurately modelling lift-generating effects has become an important challenge in hydrodynamic analysis. Advances in integrated numerical methods are improving the representation of hull-appendage interactions, supporting more realistic prediction of flow behaviour and helping designers evaluate the influence of lifting surfaces on vessel performance.

Accurate prediction of waterjet propulsion performance is becoming increasingly important as high-speed vessels demand efficient, responsive, and well-integrated propulsion systems. Advances in computational fluid dynamics are enabling more detailed assessment of pump and waterjet characteristics, supporting performance evaluation from the earliest design stages and providing valuable tools for improving propulsion system selection, vessel operation, and manoeuvring capability.

As autonomous underwater vehicles take on increasingly complex survey, inspection, and monitoring tasks, improving low-speed manoeuvrability and station-keeping capability has become a key operational requirement. The integration of tunnel thrusters as a supplementary control system offers a potential solution, enhancing vehicle control during transitions between conventional forward-flight modes and hover-like operations while balancing performance against onboard energy demands.

The career of David K. Brown exemplified the close relationship between naval architecture, scientific research, and practical warship design that has shaped modern naval engineering. Through his contributions to submarine development, hydrodynamics, safety standards, and maritime history, he helped advance understanding of ship design while preserving the legacy of pioneering figures such as William Froude for future generations.