Walmart and Amazon may soon be taking their e-commerce battle into the air.

Walmart applied to federal regulators on Monday for permission to test drones for home delivery and for use at its distribution centers and stores.

In pushing ahead with drone technology, the company follows Amazon, which has been trumpeting its “Prime Air” drone delivery plans since 2013.

Amazon has called for air space to be designated specifically for commercial drones, and its chief, Jeffrey P. Bezos, said this year that he believed seeing drones would one day be “as common as seeing a mail truck.”

Walmart has been carrying out indoor testing of two types of drones for several months, and “is ready to move forward as quickly as possible” in putting them to use, said Dan Toporek, a spokesman for the retailer.