KVH Industries Inc. said Tuesday it lost money in 2009 but saw improvement in the final months of the year as defense sales continued to surge.

KVH posted a profit of $1.85 million, or 13 cents a share, in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with a profit of $306,000, or 2 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 24 percent to $26.29 million.