Which class has a beam of 256 feet?

• A. America-class amphibious assault ship
• B. Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier (CVN-78)
• C. Whidbey Island-class amphibious assault ship (LPD-17)
• D. Ticonderoga-class cruiser (CG-47)

Answer: (B)

Beam is the width of a ship at its widest point, and it directly influences stability and the amount of deck space available for operations. Among the ships listed, the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier has the widest beam because its design centers on a massive flight deck and a large superstructure to support full carrier air operations. That broad width is essential for safely handling multiple aircraft, catapult systems, and the associated hangar logistics, making it wider than the other ship types shown, which prioritize different roles and thus have narrower hulls. The Whidbey Island-class amphibious ships, Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and America-class amphibious ships have smaller beams suited to their amphibious and surface combat roles, not the expansive flight deck and carrier operations that drive the Ford-class width.