India PM hails missile test

PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

The test launch of this long-range missile puts India firmly into the small club of nations with intercontinental ballistic nuclear weapons capabilities.

The rocket has a range of more than 5, 000 kilometres.

That's enough to reach deep into China and parts of Europe.

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh praised the successful test and those behind it.

SOUNDBITE: INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH SAYING (English):

"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."

C. Rajah Mohan of the Centre for Policy Research think-tank says it's a credible deterrent against neighbouring China.

SOUNDBITE: C. RAJAH MOHAN, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTRE FOR POLICY RESEARCH, SAYING (English):

"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."

China's greeted the test launch with disapproval.

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'.

Paul Chapman, Reuters