EXHIBIT 5.1
                                              

                                                  July 19, 1996

KVH Industries, Inc.
110 Enterprise Center
Middletown, RI 02842

Ladies and Gentlemen:

               We are familiar with the Registration  Statement on Form S-8 (the
          "S-8  Registration  Statement")  filed today with the  Securities  and
          Exchange  Commission by KVH Industries,  Inc, a Delaware  corporation
          (the  "Company")  relating to 740,000  shares of the Company's  Common
          Stock (the "Common Stock") issuable  pursuant to the Company's Amended
          and Restated 1995 Stock Option Plan (the "1995 Plan"),  915,000 shares
          of the Company's Common Stock issuable to the Company's 1996 Incentive
          and  Nonqualified  Stock  Option Plan  (the"1996  Plan"),  and 150,000
          shares of the  Company's  Common Stock  issuable  pursuant to the 1996
          Employee   Stock   Purchase   Plan   (the   "Stock   Purchase   Plan")
          (collectively, the "Plans").

               We are familiar with the Company's  Certificate of Incorporation,
          its  By-Laws,  the records of all meeting and consents of its Board of
          Directors  and of its  stockholders,  and its stock  records.  We have
          examined such other  records and  documents as we deemed  necessary or
          appropriate for purposes of rendering this opinion.

               Based upon the  foregoing,  we are of the  opinion  that (a) the
          Company has  corporate  power  adequate for the issuance in the manner
          set forth in the S-8 Registration Statement of the 1,805,000 shares of
          its  Common  Stock to be issued  pursuant  to the  Plans  and  offered
          pursuant to the S-8 Registration Statement,  (b) the Company has taken
          all necessary  corporate action required to authorize the issuance and
          sale of such  1,805,000  shares  and (c)  when  certificates  for such
          shares have been duly executed and countersigned and delivered against
          due receipt of the exercise  price for such shares as described in the
          Plans,  such shares will  validly and legally  issued,  fully paid and
          non-assessable.


               We hereby  consent to the  filing of this  opinion as part of the
          S-8 Registration Statement.


                                        Very truly yours,


                                        Foley, Hoag & Eliot LLP

                                     






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