“They think they can still get that in, depending upon what the cost cap is,” he said. “But there is an affordability constraint, so I don’t know what’s going to happen there.”

Future Pentagon budget levels are uncertain, since Congress has not passed a budget for fiscal 2013, which began Oct. 1, and lawmakers may yet avert $600 billion in U.S. budget reductions that are due to kick in at the beginning of January.

Sikorsky, a unit of United Technologies Corp, as well as Boeing Co and Europe’s EADS have urged the Army to buy new helicopters, instead of extending the life of the old ones.

Army spokesman Dov Schwartz said the Army was evaluating the results of flight demonstrations completed by several helicopter makers earlier this year.

“No decision is expected prior to the first of the year,’ he said.