继去年英国、西德和意大利三个国家花费2.7亿英镑联合发展SP-70 155毫米榴弹炮计划取消之后,英国国防部于1986年12月向英国皇家军械公司,维克斯造船与工程公司和维克斯防御公司以及美国BMY公司提出发展155毫米火炮的估价要求,于是,上述四家公司于1987年6月纷纷投标竞争,试图研制一种能取代SP-70 155毫米自行榴弹炮的火炮。 Following plans to spend £ 270 million on the SP-70 155 mm howitzers to be canceled by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy last year, the British Ministry of Defense informed Royal Armories, Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Defense Company and BMY of the United States proposed the development of a 155mm artillery piece. As a result, the four companies bid in July 1987 for an attempt to develop an artillery that could replace the SP-70 155mm self-propelled howitzer.