The Seasprite, with the internal Kaman designation K-20, was developed in the late 1950s in response to a United States Navy (USN) requirement for a suitably fast and compact naval utility helicopter.

Kaman also pursued foreign sales; after showing interest, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) rejected the Seasprite due to an unexpected price increase and underperformance during sea trials.

In October 1970, the USN selected the Seasprite as the interim Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopter, resulting in the SH-2D/F variant with enhanced ASW and anti-surface warfare sensors.

Retired USN Seasprites were offered as foreign aid in the 1990s and 2000s; this led to quite some interest and F and/or G models served with New Zealand, Poland, and Egypt.

In 1956, the USN launched a competition for a compact, all-weather multipurpose naval helicopter, and encouraged submissions from private companies.

[2][3] Kaman won the competition[3][4] and was awarded a contract to construct four prototypes and an initial batch of 12 production helicopters, designated as the HU2K-1.

[1] In 1960, the HU2K was the RCN's preferred option for its ASW helicopter program, and the Government of Canada approved the purchase of 12 Seasprites for $14.5 million.

[5] However, the purchase was disrupted by Kaman suddenly raising the price to $23 million, and concerns that the helicopter's designed weight and performance criteria were overoptimistic.

[10] In the 1960s, the US Army commissioned a gunship version, which was called the Kaman H-2 Tomahawk, and featured multiple M-60 machine guns (7.62) and options for rocket launchers, however, it was passed over in favor of the AH-1 Cobra.

[14] Deliveries of the SH-2F began in 1973; the SH-2F included LAMPS I and other improvements, such as upgraded engines, an extended life main rotor, and an heavier take-off weight.

[17] During the 1970s, the conversion of UH-2s to the SH-2 anti-submarine configuration provided the U.S. Navy with its first dedicated ASW helicopter capable of operating from vessels other than its aircraft carriers.

The compact size of the SH-2 allowed the type to be operated from flight decks that were too small for the majority of helicopters; this factor would later play a role in the U.S. Navy's decision to acquire the improved SH-2F during the early 1980s.

[19] The countermeasures and additional equipment present upon the SH-2F allowed the type to conduct combat support and surface warfare missions within these hostile environments, which had an often-minimal submarine threat.

3 Squadron RNZAF Naval Support Flight, to operate with ANZAC class frigates until the fleet of five new SH-2G(NZ) Super Seasprites were delivered.

[28] During the late 1990s, the United States decided to offer the surplus U.S. Navy SH-2Fs as foreign aid to a number of overseas countries.

[30] In the early 2000s, Australia acquired the SH-2G model, with ten delivered by 2007,[31] 11 had been ordered in the late 1990s, but they only served from 2003 to 2008; the RAN consolidated on using the SH-60 Seahawk and was launching the MRH-90 Taipan program at the time.