 He left the position of Inspector General of the Air Force on 1 December 2002 and took charge of the Joint Forces Directorate ("Krigsförbandsledningen") in the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters.He was at the same time promoted to lieutenant general.Nilsson later served as the Chief of Training & Development ("Produktionschef") and as Director Joint Staff ("Chef för ledningsstaben") where he was replaced by Sverker Göranson on 1 November 2007.