Initially conceived as a fighter, it was quickly found to be inadequate for that role. However, given it's impressive speed, range and operational ceiling, it was an excellent reconnaissance and/or light bomber airplane. The production continued after the war and continued serving with the Aeronautica Militare (military aeronautics) and also with the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) well into the 20s.
It's most famous action was the flight over Vienna, when the Italian poet Gabrielle D'Anunzio, flying in a modified SVA.10 (it was modified because the pilot and observer posts were exchanged so the pilot position was the observer's one and the observer's one the pilot's one) flew over Vienna on 9th August 1918 escorted by other SVA.5 of the same unit in order to drop propagandistic leaflets calling for the rebellion in the city. The leaflets consisted in three poems all of them written by D'Anunzio himself.
Another famous action of this airplane was the so called raid Rome-Tokyo, which featured a staged flight of 112 effective flying hours from Rome to Tokyo, passing through Italy, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iraq, British Raj, Thailand, French Indochina, China, and finally, Japan, using only Italian airplanes. The first stages were completed using Caproni Ca.40, but the rest were completed using SVAs.
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