July 22 (Reuters) - Northrop Grumman ( NOC ) raised its

annual profit forecast and topped Wall Street estimates for

second-quarter revenue on Tuesday, aided by sustained demand for

its military aircraft and defense systems as geopolitical

tensions simmer.

Shares of the company rose about 3% in premarket trading.

A protracted Russia-Ukraine war and conflict in the Middle

East have boosted demand for weapons from defense contractors

such as Northrop.

The company, which makes the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that

were used in U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites in June, is

also expected to benefit from President Donald Trump's defense

budget for next year that seeks more missiles and drones.

Northrop had cut its 2025 profit forecast in April to

between $24.95 per share and $25.35 per share after

manufacturing costs spiraled in an attempt to ramp production of

its B-21 stealth bombers, causing a $477 million hit.

It now expects annual profit per share of $25.00 to $25.40

Northrop, however, narrowed its revenue forecast for the

year to between $42.05 billion and $42.25 billion, compared with

$42 billion to $42.5 billion earlier.

Despite the strong demand, supply chain issues caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic linger, affecting production in industries

including defense.

The defense contractor's second-quarter sales rose to $10.35

billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $10.07

billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

It reported a quarterly net income of $1.17 billion, or a

per-share profit of $8.15, compared with the $940 million, or

$6.36 per share, a year ago.