rail-based missile incorporated an inflatable nose cone as a means of length reduction for accommodation in a refrigerator car, while the silo-based variant was equipped with a more robust folding nose cone, since it was expected to be operated in a much harsher preemptive nuclear strike environment. In order to prevent damage to the railroad tracks caused by high weight of the launching car with a missile (>200 tons), the special three-car coupling system was developed for the launching modules, allowing for even weight distribution between neighboring cars. The missile train was able to function autonomously for up to 28 days. In order to evaluate effects of a nearby nuclear explosion on the missile complex, on 27 February 1991, in Plesetsk, the "Sdvig" (, lit. "Shift") experiment was conducted, upon which a pile of 100,000 TM-57 anti-tank mines was detonated with the yield of 1,000 tons of TNT at a distance of 850 and 450 meters from the two separate groups of railcar launching and command modules. The experiment showed that, despite moderate damage to the railcars, the complexes were still able to conduct simulated missile launches (the computer system of one of them required a reboot). The level of acoustic pressure in the command modules, however, "exceeded 150 dB" and "would have resulted in a 20-minutes hearing loss" for the personnel. Prior to that, in 1988, at Semipalatinsk Test Site, the rail-based complex took part in the "Siyanie" (, lit. "Shining") and "Groza" (, lit. "Thunderstorm") experiments, meant to evaluate its EMP and lightning protection effectiveness. According to US Defense Department, as of September 1991, production of the RT-23 had ended with approximately 90 missiles deployed. Its production facilities were located in Ukraine, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the production of the missile was halted. The 46 silo-based missiles located in Ukraine were deactivated by mid-1996 and put into storage awaiting a decision on a feasible disposal method, while their warheads were sent to Russia for dismantlement. In 1998–2001, all Ukrainian RT-23 missiles were dismantled and 45 out of 46 RT-23 silos exploded, with one of them left intact for exhibition purposes. A total of 46 missiles remained in service by April 1997 with the Strategic Missile Forces (10 silo- and 36 rail-based). The remaining 10 silo-based missiles in Russia were deactivated and sent for dismantlement in 2001, and their silos were modified for