Administration officials celebrate the dismantlement of the final B53 nuclear bomb in the US inventory. Retired in 1997, the Cold War-era bomb, which was about the size of a mini-van and weighed some 10,000 pounds, was carried by B-47, B-52, and B-58 bombers.
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…