Oct 21 (Reuters) - Northrop Grumman ( NOC ) raised its

2025 profit forecast for a second straight quarter on Tuesday,

as the defense contractor expects continued demand for its

weapons and military aircraft.

Conflicts in the Middle East and a protracted Russia-Ukraine

war have prompted a surge in demand for missiles and fighter

jets, boosting sales at defense contractors.

The company is also expected to compete on contracts for

U.S. President Donald Trump's marquee $175 billion Golden Dome

missile defense system, which could drive sales going forward.

Northrop, which makes B-2 Spirit stealth bombers used in

U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites earlier this year, said it

now expects 2025 adjusted profit between $25.65 and $26.05 per

share, up from its prior forecast of between $25.00 and $25.40.

However, the impact of the Trump administration's trade war

on an already-strained supply chain has pressured production in

multiple industries, including defense, and suppressed the

ability of businesses to execute on their backlogs.

Northrop trimmed its full-year 2025 sales outlook. It now

expects between $41.7 billion and $41.9 billion, compared with

its previous forecast of $42.05 billion-$42.25 billion.

The defense giant's total revenue rose 4% to $10.42 billion

in the third quarter.

It reported net income of $1.1 billion, or a per-share

profit of $7.67, compared with $1.03 billion, or $7.00 per

share, a year ago.

(Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru and Mike Stone in

Washington; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)