.WASHINGTON (AP) _ The third ship in the history of the US Navy to be named the USS Minnesota will be a new nuclear attack submarine.

On Tuesday, the US Navy announced that the next two Virginia-class attack submarines will be named the USS Minnesota and the USS North Dakota.

The Navy says the name USS Minnesota honors the state's residents for their continued support of the military, and their long tradition of honoring its veterans.

The first USS Minnesota was a sailing steam frigate that served in the Civil War, the second was a battleship that served in World War I and was decommissioned in 1921.

Among the capabilities of the North Dakota and Minnesota are launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, conducting covert long-term surveillance of land areas and delivering special forces troops.