Defense contractor Teledyne Technologies reported better-than-expected earnings Thursday and raised its expectations for the year.

Net income for the third quarter was $30 million (82 cents per share), compared with $35 million (96 cents per share) for the third quarter of 2009. Analysts on average expected earnings of 76 cents a share, based on a survey by Thomson Reuters.

Sales in the Thousand Oaks company’s electronics and communications segment, which account for 73 percent of revenue, rose 10 percent, while sales decreased in the engineering services, aerospace and energy systems divisions. Overall, sales rose 3.4 percent in the quarter.

“Quarterly orders exceeded sales and total funded backlog was just shy of record levels prior to the global financial crisis,” Chief Executive Robert Mehrabian said in a statement.

The company also announced it expects full-year 2010 earnings in the range of $3.06 to $3.09 per share, an upgrade from its previous guidance in the $2.95 to $3 range.

Shares of Teledyne inched up 10 cents per share, or less than 1 percent, to trade at $41.68 by midday on the New York Stock Exchange.