CINCINNATI, Oh (AP): The Federal Aviation Administration has rejected Ohio and Indiana’s joint bid to become one of the agency’s six drone test sites.

The FAA announced winners of its competition for the highly coveted sites on Monday.

About two dozen states submitted proposals.

Ohio and Indiana had hoped to improve their chances by combining forces and setting up the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center & Test Complex based in Springfield, Ohio.

The two states lost out to sites in Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia.

The FAA must develop a plan by 2015 for safely integrating unmanned aircraft into national airspace.

The agency says it considered geography, climate, location of ground infrastructure, research needs, airspace use, aviation experience and risk.