Northrop Grumman profit rises 16.7 percent

Oct 26 (Reuters) - U.S. weapons maker Northrop Grumman Corp reported a 16.7 percent rise in quarterly profit, partly helped by higher sales in its aerospace systems business, which makes the center sections of the F-35 fighter jets.

The company's net earnings rose to $602 million, or $3.35 per share, in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, from $516 million, or $2.75 per share, a year earlier. (http://bit.ly/2eR8BSK)

Total sales rose 2.9 percent to $6.16 billion.

(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru and Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)