President Nixon was more than willing to seize the advantage offered by the ousting of Sihanouk and the opportunity to strike the border sanctuaries as a means of buying time for both the U.S. and South Vietnam. On 29 April, the first bombings of Operation Patio took place. Like "Menu", these tactical airstrikes were held in close secrecy. Although they were initially an anti-infiltration measure, they quickly expanded as targets deeper in Cambodia became the norm. The program was quickly superseded by Operation Freedom Deal, the overt support of FANK troops by B-52 and tactical airstrikes by American and South Vietnamese aircraft.