Well, if it was a national imperative, they would move personnel between the two yard to train the new people.How much would building a second production yard cost? How much would training the builders cost?
But it would be expensive...and would only occur in a national imperative situation...like we had in world War II.
As it is, Newport News does a GREAT job. They are, without a doubt IMHO, the most experienced and advanced carrier building group on earth.
They have been doing it continuously since the first purpose built carrier in US History, CV-4, the USS Ranger, which they built. The Langley and the Saratoga and the Lexington were all conversions (CV-1 thru CV-3).
Newport News has been continuously building carriers since starting the USS Range in 1931. Thats 86 years of continuous building...including all of the Nimitz class and now the first two Ford class.
The history is astounding for that company. Here is a short description:
1934: Newport News launches the first American ship originally designed as an aircraft carrier: USS Ranger (CV 4).
1938 – 1941: Newport News builds the Yorktown-class carriers; USS Yorktown (CV 5), USSEnterprise (CV 6) and USS Hornet (CV 8).
1942: All threeYorktown-class carriers win the Battle of Midway in June of 1942, putting the US Navy on the offensive against the Japanese in WW II. USS Enterprise (CV 6) became the most decorated ship in US Navy history, participating in all but two of the WW II carrier engagements.
1942 – 1946: Newport News builds the first seven ships of the Essex-class Fleet Carriers. The 24-ship class, the largest US aircraft carrier class built, become the WW II Fast Carrier Task Forces in the Pacific. The Essex-class carriers, with modernization, serve through the early 1970s and the Vietnam War.
1945 – 1947: Newport News builds 2 of the 3 Midway-class “battle” carriers; USS Midway (CVB 41) and USS Coral Sea (CVB 43). Both ships serve into the early 1990s.
1955: Newport News builds the first super carrier USS Forrestal (CVA 59) 1955. The four-ship class, including the Newport News-built USS Ranger (CVA 61) are the first carriers built with angled landing areas on their flight decks and designed to operate jet aircraft.
1961: Newport News builds the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier: USS Enterprise (CVN 65)
1964 – 1968: Newport News builds the carriers USS America (CV 66) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67).
1972 – 2008: Newport News builds all Nimitz-class carriers, 10 in all.
2008 – present: Newport News builds Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first of a new class of carriers.
That's 86 years of continuous carrier building.
The current USS John F. Kennedy is the 30th carrier they have built in that 86 year history, and the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) which will follow the new JFK, will be the 31st.
An amazing history.