India test launches long-range missile India has succesfully test-fired the Agni V, a nuclear-capable missile that can reach Beijing and Eastern Europe. It's the first step for the emerging Asian power into an small club of nations with intercontinental nuclear weapons capabilities. The missile is the crowning achievement of a programme developed primarily with a threat from neighbouring China in mind. According to India's government, the weapon will not be operational for at least two years. Footage of the rocket, which has a range of more than 5,000 km, shows it blasting through clouds from an island off India's east coast. The defence minister has described the test-launch as "immaculate." "Today's launch represents another milestone in our quest for our security, preparedness and to explore the frontiers of science," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a congratulatory message to the scientists who developed the rocket. Only the UN Security Council permanent members - China, France, Russia the United States and Britain - along with Israel, are believed to have such long-range weapons. India is fast emerging as a world economic power and is keen to play a larger role on the global stage. The country has long angled for a permanent seat on the Security Council. In recent years it has emerged as the world's top arms importer as it upgrades equipment for a large but outdated military.