MORE than 200 jobs at an Ulverston electronic consultancy and manufacturing firm have been safeguarded after the company secured a deal to supply pioneering equipment to the British Army.

Oxley Developments at Priory Park fought off competition from firms in America and Europe before being chosen by General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited to supply electronic tags, e-tags, for the British Army.

The pioneering shirt button sized electronic tag will be attached to the army's new Bowman radio.

The information from the tag can be downloaded onto a computer at any time and will list the service history, maintenance records and where the radio has been used.

It is the first major UK military equipment programme to have electronic tags integrated into the equipment during manufacture and will be one of the most advanced pieces of equipment in the world.

The three-year contract to supply more than 250,000 of the tags and a large number of tag readers will not create extra jobs at the firm but has safeguard work for the 200 people employed.

The contract also includes Oxley providing system support for the new device for up to ten years.

Marketing manager Steve North said: "The contract has safeguarded the jobs already here but it also puts the company on the map and means we can work within a large expanding field.

We are really pleased as we fought off competition from America and Europe to secure the contract."

General Dynamics field support worker Aaron Whild said: "The Oxley e-tag solution will provide significant versatility during the life of the Bowman equipment.

The technology also has further potential for other related applications within our business."