SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) - Joint military exercises between Australia and the United States were paused on Saturday after an Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter involved in the war games crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland state. Director of the Talisman Sabre military exercises, Brigadier Damian Hill, said they had been put on hold following the crash. Talisman Sabre comprises two weeks of war games involving more than 30,000 troops and participants from 11 other countries, in a show of force and unity amid China's military build-up in the region. The exercises are taking place in various locations across Australia and include mock land and air combat, as well as amphibious landings. Reporting by Praveen Menon and Sam McKeith; Editing by Sandra Maler and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Richard Marles, Damian Hill, I've, Talisman, Hill, Praveen Menon, Sam McKeith, Sandra Maler Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Defence Force, ADF, Defence, Talisman Sabre, Sabre, Thomson Locations: Australia, United States, Queensland, Hamilton, Brisbane, Lincoln