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Introduction

Mine (warfare), explosive concealed underground or underwater, used primarily by military forces for defense purposes. The first mines were chambers or tunnels dug under fortifications and filled with explosives. They exploded as part of a larger attack. Today mines are self-contained explosives that explode when a target either touches them or passes close by. Areas where mines have been placed are known as minefields. See also Bomb.

Mines represent an extremely dangerous threat to troops and ships because they are difficult to detect. They can make an attacking force slow down, or make the force avoid the mined area altogether. Because mines do not require people to operate them, their use enables the defending force to focus its military personnel elsewhere. Mines are easy to lay, and once laid, a minefield does not need to be maintained.

Land mines can be made simply with inexpensive materials, and they require little training and no specialized tools to plant them. These advantages, combined with their low price, have led to their widespread use in civil wars and rebellions. Underwater mines, known as naval mines, are more expensive and sophisticated because they must endure in water for long periods of time and generally require special equipment or aircraft to lay them.

Naval mines were used extensively in World War I (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945), and the Vietnam War (1959-1975). Land mines first saw widespread use in World War II, but they have since appeared in almost every military conflict. Today land mines threaten civilians in many countries long after wars in those areas have ended, and many people and organizations have pushed for a ban on anti-personnel mines (mines meant to harm people).