Mine
A mine was a type of explosive device often deployed as a weapon placed in a particular area to prevent enemy travel. Usually small, unmanned devices, mines could be deployed in space to be used against starships, or on land to be used against enemy ground forces. They generally exploded on contact or when their proximity sensors detected an enemy nearby. The deployment of mines was generally considered an act of war. ()

While most mines were explosive, some damaged ships in other ways, such as blade mines which cut through the ship's hull. () Some mines did not inflict damage at all, such as those used by the Hekarans Serova and Rabal in the Hekaras Corridor. These mines were designed to emit verteron pulses to simply disable subspace systems on passing starships. ()

In 2152,  encountered a field of cloaked tricobalt mines, utilizing boridium power cells, surrounding a planet that the Romulan Empire had annexed. One of the mines caused significant damage to Enterprises port fore quarter. Another mine lodged itself on Enterprises hull, dangerously close to the starboard impulse reactor, leading Lieutenant Reed to exit Enterprise and attempt to disarm the mine. ()

As of 2257, the Federation prohibited the use of mines. However, the pressure of the Klingon war led Starfleet to tolerate the presence of a minefield around Section 31 Headquarters, as the mines had not been constructed by the Federation. Captain Christopher Pike considered this a distinction without a difference. ()

Some time between 2290 and 2370 The Albino mined his compound with gravitic anti-personal mines planning to detonate them if Kang, Koloth, and Kor, or Dax set foot on Secarus IV to confront him. They were, however, detected and defused by blowing up his armory and the power station which supplied power to the mines. () 

In 2372, the Klingon Empire secretly deployed cloaked mines around the Bajoran star system to prevent the Federation from sending reinforcements to the sector, as a precursor to a Klingon invasion. However, their activities were exposed when an accidental mine detonation caused severe damage to the  . Lieutenant Commander Worf and Kurn were able to infiltrate the Drovana and obtain the mines' detonation codes. Subsequently, Major Kira Nerys aboard the  detonated the minefield. ()

Another instance when mines were used was in 2373 when Starfleet mined the entrance to the Bajoran wormhole to prevent Dominion reinforcements from being provided to the Cardassian Union. The mines were small, only about a meter across, and were equipped with cloaking devices. They were also self-replicating and designed to swarm-detonate in order to destroy larger Dominion ships. The  was dispatched to carry out this task. When ordered by the Dominion to remove the minefield, the United Federation of Planets flatly refused, sparking the dispute which led to the Dominion War (2373-2375). ()  

In some instances, smaller mines were used, such as the anti-personnel mines the Dominion deployed around a communication array at AR-558. ()

In the 32nd century, the Emerald Chain used mines to guard their prisons on colonies such as Radvek V. The mines were camouflaged as native life-forms such as Narisa beetles. ()

Types of mines 
Anti-personnel mine
 "Houdinis" 
Antimatter mine
Blade mine
Blackout mine
Gravitic mine
Multi-kinetic neutronic mine
Pulse mine
Romulan mine
Self-replicating mine
Subspace mine

See also 
Minefield

External links 
 
 

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Explosive weapons