The Army’s top leadership underwent a change on Wednesday, with new commanders appointed to two regional commands facing Pakistan and one facing China, along with a new Vice-Chief. Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth has taken over as the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff.Lt Gen Seth assumed charge in New Delhi, succeeding Lt Gen Pushpendra Pal Singh, who has been appointed to head the Western Command at Chandimandir. Lt Gen Singh took over from Lt Gen MK Katiyar, who has retired.Lt Gen Sandeep Jain has assumed command as the Southern Army Commander in Pune, replacing Lt Gen Seth.Both the Western and Southern Commands are oriented towards Pakistan and would form the frontline in the event of any conflict with the western neighbour. These commands are equipped with a wide array of assets, including major armoured formations, infantry, attack helicopters, offensive rocket systems, artillery guns and air defence systems. Each command also has a strike corps — the II Strike Corps at Ambala and the XXI Strike Corps at Bhopal.In addition, the South Western Command, headquartered in Jaipur, is also oriented towards Pakistan, while the Northern Command, based in Udhampur, has a dual role, focusing on Pakistan to the west and China along its eastern flank.Meanwhile, the other key change was in the east, where Lt Gen VMB Krishnan assumed charge of the Eastern Command, headquartered in Kolkata. He took over from Lt Gen RC Tiwari, who retired on Tuesday. The Eastern Command is tasked with operations along the China frontier in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, and its area of responsibility also includes borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. The China-oriented Mountain Strike Corps has major elements under this command, along with a specialised aviation brigade.The changes at the regional commands come ahead of an expected transition at the top. Lt Gen Seth is the senior-most officer in line to become Army Chief when Gen Upendra Dwivedi retires on June 30. His posting to the Army Headquarters is being seen by analysts as preparation for a larger leadership role.An officer of the Armoured Corps, Lt Gen Seth has the distinction of having commanded both the Southern Command and the South Western Command, formations oriented towards Pakistan.In Pune, Lt Gen Jain said the command would continue to focus on operational readiness across its diverse areas of responsibility, including deserts, the Rann and creek sector, coastline, island territories and the hinterland.In Chandimandir, Lt Gen Singh reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining high operational readiness. The Western Command is in the process of inducting niche technologies, including drones and counter-drone systems, while also focusing on intelligence-driven operations and infrastructure development, alongside maintaining close synergy with the civil administration.In Kolkata, Lt Gen Krishnan emphasised the need to strengthen jointness, accelerate technological integration and ensure enduring peace and stability across the eastern theatre.