French jet fighter manufacturer Dassault Aviation says it has lost out to the United States for a contract from Poland worth $3.5bn.

The political element was the dominating element, much more than the quality of the material and the price Dassault chief Charles Edelstenne

American firm Lockheed Martin beat the French company and the Swedish-British firm BAE Systems/SAAB for the contract to build the F-16 fighter jets, according to Dassault.

Dassault's chief executive Charles Edelstenne accused the Polish Government of putting politics above considerations of price and quality.

But Polish Defence Ministry spokesman Eugeniusz Mleczak said that the formal winner would not be announced until Friday.

And, Lockheed's campaign director for the Polish tender, George Standridge, said that his firm was still waiting for the official announcement.

Nato standards

Three aircraft were competing in the tender: the Lockheed Martin F-16, the Dassault Mirage 2000-5 and BAE Systems/Saab's Jas-39 Gripen.

Poland wants to replace its aging Russian-made MiG fighter jets

At present Poland possesses aging Russian MiG-21 and MiG-29 fighters.

A Nato member since 1999, Poland is due to join the European Union in 2004, and the aircraft replacement is aimed at bringing the country's military up to Nato standards.

Defence analysts say that, if confirmed, the contract would be a considerable coup for Lockheed, which recently missed out on lucrative contracts in the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Eight Nato countries already use F-16 planes, and Mr Edelstenne said this would have been a factor in the decision.

"The United States applies all its weight in armaments and politics throughout the entire world, including Europe," he told Reuters news agency.

The US had been lobbying for the contract in Poland - with support from the Bush administration - after reviving its ties with the country following the collapse of its communist regime in 1999.