In 1935, the Izhorsky plant at Leningrad was experimenting with a artillery version of the T-26 light tank, the T-26-4
One sample was sent to the KhPZ plant at Kharkov that had just started production of the BT-7 fast tank.

The artillery turret, equipped with a 76,2mm KT-28 Model 1927/32 howitzer, fitted quite well to the BT chassis, so 155 of the new BT-7A were produced until the end of 1937, just in time to participate at the Russian-Japanese border conflict at Khalkin-Gol.

In total, the Red Army received 133 vehicles of which 11 were equipped with the horseshoe-shaped radio antenna.
Few, if any, survived the summer catastrophy of 1941.