BISMARCK, N.D. — The Navy’s North Dakota submarine has been certified for overseas deployment.

Gov. Doug Burgum says the Navy informed him the submarine left its homeport in Groton, Connecticut on Tuesday. The vessel is scheduled to return in January.

The $2.6 billion, 377-foot-long submarine is able to launch cruise missiles, deliver special forces and carry out surveillance missions.

The 11th Virginia-class submarine, it’s the first Navy vessel to carry the name North Dakota in a century. It was commissioned in 2014.