The Defender Ion Mine employs cloaking revvers, scatter particle beams and passive running to remain nearly invisible to starship sensors, and was in the Imperial arsenal at least shortly after the Battle of Hoth. In the event that its neighbours are detected, the Defender will activate its sensor masks to baffle its emissions. These multi-use deep space mines are employed to blockade planets that are required to be severed from supplies and trade. They are deployed throughout the near space of the target planet. Those foolishly attempting to run the nearly impossible gauntlet will be challenged by at least one Defender. Once a craft is within 10 km of the mine, it unleashes a powerful ion attack disabling it. Upon receiving a narrow-band high-frequency transmission from the mine to its control station, usually a warship, an Imperial vessel is dispatched to board the disabled ship.

    Unfortunately, these mines do suffer from one weakness. Since they do not target objects four metres or smaller in diameter, personnel in vacc-suits equipped with jet packs can directly disable the mines. Such an occurrence occurred when the Rebels managed to temporarily clear a path to the blockaded world of Berason. Physically, this mine features three sensor rods located at the base of the attitude thruster, moving up is the ion accelerator, then the cloaking revver, ion converter, and then the particle beam scatter projectors that ring the base of the ion cannon. Meanwhile, the solar panel like appendage is an attitude differential sensor.

*After Endor* This mine continues service with Imperial Forces, however, planetary governments and the hated New Republic also employ it.