India and Russia will launch the joint fifth generation fighters by year end and have agreed to collaborate to develop heavy lift cargo helicopters and futuristic infantry combat vehicles. The path for more hi-tech defence collaboration between Moscow and New Delhi was paved with the signing of the joint defence protocol by Defence Minister AK Antony and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov in Moscow today. The protocol extends military interaction between the two countries till 2020 and this is expected to make the path clear for inking more major defence joint ventures during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in early December.<br/>Defence Ministry officials said in New Delhi that at the meeting, India and Russia reviewed the status of various ongoing bilateral defence cooperation projects including indigenous production of the Russian T-90S tanks at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi near Chennai, upgrading the Sukhoi fighter jets and joint development of a hypersonic BrahMos-II cruise missile. Mr Antony, in his opening remarks at the meeting, said the two countries have had an enduring strategic partnership and defence ties and described Russia as a time-tested and dependable friend of India.