As in the Alpha Octant and the Lesser Magellanic Cloud, mine warfare is a factor to consider for the various empires of the Omega Octant. However, unlike in Alpha and the LMC, the status of minesweepers and/or minelayers in Omega is somewhat patchy at present.

A the time of writing, there are rules for various Omega captor mines in the 2011 Omega Master Rulebook; a series of mine warfare PFs in Module Omega 5; plus the prospect of Nucian "tactical mines" and Paravian "quantum wave mines" buried deep in "Omega's Lost Futures". (Notably, while the Souldra have dark matter bombs they can deploy like a T-bomb, they do not, at this time, have any "dark matter mines" for use in support of their fixed installations.) Plus there's the prospect of Andromedan minefields for RTN-hunting Omega task forces to eventually consider.

So, when it comes to pursuing mine warfare using full-sized ships rather than (or alongside) gunboats, how might the various Omega empires go about this?

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For most of the "metal-hull" Omega empires, the question is relatively straightforward: if one were to develop minesweeper and/or minelayer variants, how similarly (or not) would this process be relative to what we know of Alpha and LMC mine warfare units?

To use the Mæsrons as an example, would they deploy minesweeper variants of any of their "Middle Years" hulls (such as the frigate or destroyer); would they use a minelayer pod with their light or heavy tugs; and would such a pod be usable with a Mæsron-type civilian freighter? (And, once they get their "war classes" into production, would it be reasonable to assume that one or more "new minesweeper" variants might then be fielded?)

Of course, there are some interesting quirks, even among the "metal-hull" empires. For one, the Hivers might use something akin to a "mine warfare PF" as a variant of their destroyer. (I would like to see the Hivers eventually get "war destroyers" equipped with "volatile warp" engines, in which case a "DWM" would look like another empire's "volatile warp" PFM.)

In a similar manner as how modularity makes things interesting for Romulan Hawk-series mineswepers (as noted here), both the Iridani and Zosmans might havee some interesting questions to ask in terms of what kind of mine warfare modules they ought to make use of.

In the case of the Iridani, who presently have a mine warfare module for their oversized PF, would they be able (or willing) to adapt certain features from their pre-existing shield module, in order to support this mission; or would a dedicated mine warfare module not have enough room spare to allow for such a feature? Would they go to the trouble of creating a minesweeper variant of their min-modular Yawl? And, indeed, would the very concept of Iridani mine warfare be a "post-Andromedan" innovation, as something they were not minded to bother with until during, or after, the Grand Quest?

In the case of the Zosmans, if one were to expand upon the preview in Captain's Log #50 and Captain's Log #52, a "passive" minelayer capacity could perhaps be installed into a "system" module. But a more "active" minesweeper capability might require a dedicated "weapon" module, which may include the targeting software needed to carry out this mission. And if it were to turn out that the Zosmans never developed a shield module akin to that used by their Iridani rivals, might this put the Zosmans in the same spot of trouble as the SparrowHawk-D and SkyHawk-D, in that they would be obliged to get by with the base hull's shielding - such as it may be - when sweeping enemy mines? (But on the flip side, just as the cloak helps with Romulan minelaying operations, perhaps the stealth field can help the Zosmans in the minelayer role.)

And if the "lost futures" Paravians were to be given the same quantum wave torpedo rules as seen in Module C6, any minesweepers they field in Omega might be somewhat ahead of the curve, even before one takes these supposed "quantum wave mines" into account.

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A more pressing issue would be for the "organic" empires: the Alunda and Branthodons.

As noted in (OM2.312), it is impossible for either empire to deploy minefields of their own. So any mine warfare "mission variants" they were to deploy would be intended for use as minesweepers; the Alunda would certainly wish to counter Hiver minefields, if possible. (The Branthodons were destroyed as a faction prior to the Andromedan invasion.)

Still, the absence of mines on either side would be one part of what must be a quite unique dynamic when these two empires fight one another.

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And while the Souldra may not necessarily be granted the use of "dark matter mines" [see (OM2.313)], would they perhaps assign some sort of minesweeper variants in order to help them attack heavily fortified planets?

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Now, I'm not necessarily in any sort of hurry to see Omega Octant mine warfare fleshed out any time soon - not least since it would not be a factor in terms of the FC Omega conversion project.

Even so, mine warfare is an important aspect of how these empires should one day be "campaign compatible" in Star Fleet Battles terms; so it may be just as well to have a thread here in which the concept can be discussed, as or when the motive and opportunity to explore it further rolls around.