No plans at this time for joint US-India navy patrols, says US State Department

Washington: There are currently no plans for joint naval patrols by the United States and India, the US State Department said on Thursday. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the United States and India had held talks about conducting joint naval patrols, quoting a US defense official saying they could include the disputed South China Sea, a move that would likely anger China, which claims most of the waterway. "The United States and India do have a shared vision of peace, stability and prosperity in Asia," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a daily briefing.

"At this time, there are no plans for any joint naval patrols," he added.

The two countries have increased military ties in recent years, holding naval exercises in the Indian Ocean along with Japan's navy. But the Indian navy has never carried out joint patrols with another country.