A first single-barrel cannon designated A-217 was made, followed by the twin-barrel A-218, which was chosen due to its higher rate of fire and appeal to the admiral of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic's navy S. G. Gorshkov.

The cannon went on trial operation on the Project 956 destroyer for five years, and was adopted into service in the USSR on November 1, 1985.

Its high rate of fire, when provided with adequate types of shells, allows the cannon to serve as anti-aircraft artillery.

The system is able to receive target designation from detection equipment on the ship, movement parameters, elevate the cannons and can adjust shooting bursts as well as track projectiles automatically.

Two A-218 turrets are placed on every Project 956 destroyer, one each on the bow and the stern side before a tank and helicopter hangar was added.

Slava-class cruisers are equipped with the Puma modernization device for artillery guidance systems (essentially the analogue of the Podacha terrestrial complex) for centralized "aimless" aiming at targets.