The United States Navy issued specifications for a scout bomber in 1934 and Brewster won the competition.

[1] Some minor problems were found during testing and less than a year after its first flight, the aircraft was given a revised tail and rudder and a more powerful Wright R-1820-22 Cyclone 950-horsepower (710-kilowatt) engine, with which it reached a top speed of 263 mph (424 km/h).

[1] Because of the pressures of developing and producing the Brewster F2A Buffalo fighter, Brewster was unable to manufacture any production models of the XSBA-1, and the Navy acquired a license to produce the aircraft itself at the Naval Aircraft Factory.

Most of the SBNs were delivered to Bombing Squadron 3 (VB-3) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3).

[1] Obsolete before their delivery in 1941, some of the early production aircraft were used for carrier operations trials with Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) in 1941 and then passed on for use as trainers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8).