AMC's usually have higher orbits than the mines they do controll. This gives them a good overview of the field. Often several such controllers are in control of a field backing each other up and thus they can cover a larger field and keep the mine field running if one or more controllers has been taken out.

Controllers due to their power requirements needs to use large solar panels to keep the sensors and communication going.

In case the last controller is taken out, it will, if it gets the time for it spread a command through the minefield using other mines as relays and order them to attack everything they detect on their sensors. Dumb mines usually run out of energy after a few hours. couple of days at the most. Thus often mine clearers either try to knock out the AMC's fast, or just let them be where they are and try to clear the mines without attacking the controllers.

Another thing that saves the controllers often is that they are needed when the peace arrives. Usually the controllers manage to keep so good track of their mines that the controllers are used to defuse the mines when the field aren't needed anymore.

It is then a double edged sword. leave them in and you'll get heavy losses uness you manage to clear a path theough the field. Attack them and take them out and hope that all mines aren't set to shoot to kill before they are taken out. Such an order is close to impossible to cancel when peace comes.

AMCs often has an extended libary of ship signatures and target priorities. In addition the robotc brain has been given extensive knowledge about enemy tactics and mine clearing strategies. Thus a controller may try to counter attempts to clear out the mine field by counter attacking with appropriate mines depending on situation.

Many mine fields was rendered useless after the release of the virus. As the mines had little in the way of chabging their orbits, the mines usually burned out or just died. However a few infected controllers managed to get control over starships and used them as either large missiles or in some whay get them to explode when they was close to larger orbital installations. Or instead of changing orbit of the mines, forcing infected ships into the minefields destroying them that way.

autonomous mine controller.pdf