PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL<br/> <br />The test launch of this long-range missile puts India firmly into the small club of nations with intercontinental ballistic nuclear weapons capabilities.<br/> <br />The rocket has a range of more than 5, 000 kilometres.<br/> <br />That's enough to reach deep into China and parts of Europe.<br/> <br />India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh praised the successful test and those behind it.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH SAYING (English):<br/> <br />"I sincerely hope that in years to come our scientists and technologists will contribute a lot more to promoting self-reliance in defence and other walks of national life."<br/> <br />C. Rajah Mohan of the Centre for Policy Research think-tank says it's a credible deterrent against neighbouring China.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: C. RAJAH MOHAN, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTRE FOR POLICY RESEARCH, SAYING (English):<br/> <br />"Unlike China which has had long-range missiles for a long time India did not have a missile which was capable of hitting major targets in China. Now, with this missile, is should be able to reach China's eastern seaboard. For the first time now India has a deterrent capability vis-a-vis China."<br/> <br />China's greeted the test launch with disapproval.<br/> <br />But NATO says it doesn't see India as a threat, while the U.S. State Department hailed the country's non-proliferation record as 'solid'.<br/> <br />Paul Chapman, Reuters
