WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — The Air Force is seeking new research proposals from small business for ever-smaller and more capable unmanned aircraft for battlefield troops.

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s solicitation describes a goal of developing unmanned aerial vehicles of 20 pounds or less with power sources capable of keeping the craft aloft for four hours or more, potentially in harsh weather environments.

“The war on terrorism has put a high premium on the primary mission of UAVs for maintaining battlespace awareness and ensuring force protection,” the AFRL’s propulsion directorate said in a statement accompanying the solicitation through the government’s federal business opportunities website. Technical and cost proposals must be submitted to the AFRL at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by March 11.

The UAVs would be small enough to be launched by hand. They would provide surveillance and reconnaissance to support battle-zone missions including clearing routes, taking and holding villages, and seizing airfields, according to the AFRL’s solicitation.

The government reserves the right to award one or more contracts for what could be a $2.2 million program, the solicitation stated.

The Pentagon has been pushing to speed deployment of UAVs in support of the U.S. war against terrorism. AFRL officials have set long-term goals of developing and deploying UAVs as small as birds and ultimately, insects, that could be used for aerial monitoring and information-gathering.

Dayton community leaders, members of Congress and the Air Force are shaping plans to ask the Federal Aviation Administration to designate airspace in the region for test-flying UAVs with new sensor payloads in development.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.