Royal Navy aviators from the Commando Helicopter Force supported the British Army-run Ten Tors event on Dartmoor over the weekend, continuing a commitment that stretches back to 1988, the Royal Navy has said.
Personnel and Merlin Mk4 aircraft from 845 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton, provided around-the-clock cover across the two-day event, delivering personnel to remote checkpoints, moving supplies and standing ready to evacuate casualties from the moorland.
Reservists from the Mobile Air Operations Team ran the helicopter landing site that served as the forward operating base for the duration of the exercise, according to a news release.
Some 440 teams of six young people took part in the 2026 event, watched by more than 6,000 spectators. Teams set off at 7am on Saturday across 32 routes covering distances of 35, 45 or 55 miles depending on the age of participants, camping overnight on the moor before reaching the finish line by 5pm on Sunday. A separate one-day Jubilee Challenge ran alongside the main event for young people with physical, neurological or educational challenges.
Ten Tors is one of the largest youth events in south-west England, drawing teenagers from schools and youth organisations across the region each year for a test of navigation, leadership and endurance across the open moorland of Dartmoor.
