Tankers and container ships are large, not highly maneuverable vessels and slow to stop. They aren't very fast either. Foolish to think that any of these could, in a surprise attack, ram a Navy warship which is quick, highly maneuverable, and has armament designed to prevent such ramming. Large ships aren't like cars, they can't stop and accelerate on a dime. These Tankers pretty much just go in the direction it was pointed. Like the USS Fitzgerald , whoever was in charge of the controls at the time was probably to blame.