A NEWPORT aerospace and defence systems firm is bidding for a government contract to link up fire services across the UK that would see 120 jobs created.

EADS, formerly known as Cogent, of Meadows Road, Queensway Meadows Indust-rial Estate already employs more than 800 people but bosses are hoping to be awarded the task of building a new communications system for the fire service.

The firm designs and builds defence communications systems both manned and unmanned, such as tactical and strategic command and control, for air and naval defence and homeland security.

But EADS is now hoping to win the battle to produce Firelink, a system enabling fire and rescue services nationwide to access all the same information and communicate with one another in order to share resources.

A spokesman for EADS said: "Firelink would be the national radio replacement service for fire and rescue services around England, Scotland and Wales.

"Currently each fire brigade has its own communication service and is therefore quite isolated when the need arises for extra manpower and resources.

"But Firelink would mean each brigade can mobilise personnel and engines from elsewhere, it would work across fire service borders meaning our fire and rescue services are more efficient.

"Not only would the building and design of the system cost many hundreds of millions of pounds but here in Newport we are also looking at providing wrap-around management of the service once it is operational.

"With that in mind we have informed the Assembly that our bid would see the need for 120 new jobs here in Newport which we would advertise locally." EADS is on the shortlist of two for the contract which will be announced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on May 28.

The company, which also manufactures the wings of the A380 Airbus in north Wales, is one of the largest employers in the country.