Minbari - Technology

Technology

Minbari possess arguably the most advanced technology of all the younger races, but this is not confirmed fact (in fact, their civilization is so old they do not even rate the term "younger race", but most of the time they are thrown in with the others). The Minbari have had the capability for interstellar travel for millennia and their ships are incredibly advanced. They have done away completely with particle thrust system and use magnetogravitic drives instead (i.e. ones that manipulate gravity around the ship, propelling it in most any direction). This makes their ships the fastest and the most maneuverable craft in the space lanes. Although a technomage ship is shown to actually be able to keep up with the White-star and track it in "CRUSADE", therefore it is not certain if Minbari truly have the fastest ships. Their weapon systems are some kind of "slicer beam" particle cannons, powerful enough to destroy some capital ships with a single blow in many cases. Power systems are based on artificial quantum singularities (i.e. black holes), both more stable and more powerful than the matter/antimatter annihilation reactors most of the other races use. Minbari military ships are equipped with sensor deflection grids which function as a "cloaking device", making their ships invisible to the sensors of some of the other alien races, but not all. Starship hulls are constructed using a "polycrystalline alloy" more durable than most conventional materials.

The Minbari are quite capable of withstanding an attack by any of the younger races, with the possible exception of the Earth-Alliance (that is, only if Earth attacked with its new Omega class or Warlock class ships) and possibly the Centauri Republic. Besides Earth-Alliance and the Centauri Republic, none of the younger races stand a chance against the Minbari. Their might pales, however, in comparison with the terrible power of the First Ones. It did not seem to matter very much whether it were Earth or Minbari ships that found themselves on the receiving end of a Shadow Battlecrab's death ray, they got all destroyed the same. It took the best of Minbari technology combined with significant enhancements by the Vorlons to create a ship capable of at least standing up to the Shadows (the White Star cruisers), though still with quite an unfavorable kill ratio.