The Navy is christening its newest attack submarine at a ceremony this weekend at the shipyard of Groton's Electric Boat.
The North Dakota is the Navy's 11th Virginia-class submarine and only the second Navy vessel to be named for the state of North Dakota.
The commander of the Navy's submarine forces, Vice Adm. Michael Connor, will be the principal speaker at Saturday's ceremony.
The 377-foot-long nuclear submarine will be able to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, deliver special forces and carry out surveillance over areas at land and sea.
The last ship to bear North Dakota's name was a coal-fired, steam-powered battleship built in 1910. It was decommissioned in 1923, and sold for scrap in 1931.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
