The SVA was a conventionally laid-out unequal-span biplane with unusual Warren Truss-style struts joining its wings having no transverse (spanwise) bracing wires.

[2] While some figures within the industry were content to restrict their activity to forming arrangements to licence-produce foreign aircraft, particularly those of French origin, there were others who wanted to develop indigenous designs.

[2] The Military Aviation Technical Directory, having developed a considerable interest in the prospects of such an aircraft being produced, decided to assume control of the construction programme, making it a government project.

[5] Reportedly, highly positive results were gathered on the Isotta Fraschini V.6, having cut the time to climb to 10,000 feet to only seven minutes, superior to widely used fighters such as the British Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 and the Germany Fokker D.VII.

[5] The Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Italian Air Corps) urged that the SVA to be provided in vast quantities; thus, production output made rapid advances.

[7] During February 1918, commenced combined strategic reconnaissance and light bombing; for this purpose, special sections were organised and directly controlled by each headquarters of the Royal Italian Army.

[8] Reconnaissance runs by the SVA were claimed to have played a major role during the Second Battle of the Piave River, providing Italian commanders with a near-continuous photographic representation of the ground, helping them respond to rapid changes in the fighting.

Imagery captured by one reconnaissance flight over the enemy harbour of Pula played a major role in a bombing raid by 70 Italian aircraft several days later.

[8] During this period, reconnaissance flights by the type were being performed of key railway depots near-daily, building up a detailed picture of the Austro-Hungarian supply situation and the movement of reinforcements along the front.

[9] Perhaps the most audacious operation involving the SVA was conducted over the skies of Vienna, the capital of the Austria-Hungarian Empire, which demonstrated the superiority of Italy over its opponent and its inability to prevent such flights from reaching into the heartland of the nation.

[10] On 9 August 1918, a flight of seven SVAs of the 87th Squadriglia La Serenissima, based in San Pelagio, flew over Vienna and dropped thousands of propaganda leaflets, which had been specially prepared by the poet, soldier and nationalist Gabriele D'Annunzio.

[10] According to Cattaneo, the SVA had been quickly regarded as perhaps the most precious intelligence gathering aircraft in Italian service and was particularly welcomed by its pilots, having amply satisfied a long-standing requirement for a fast scout–light bomber capable of defening itself.

SVAs also attacked ground units, strafing and bombing troop concentrations, communication centers, depots, railway infrastructure and airfields.