The new Protector drone unveiled on Thursday by the Royal Air Force (RAF) will be an “incredibly important tool” in Britain’s fight against global terrorism, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said. The UK has ordered 16 Protector aircraft from its U.S. manufacturer General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI). They will enter into service in 2024 and will be based at the RAF’s Waddington base in Lincolnshire, England. A pre-production example of Protector took to the sky on Thursday at RAF Waddington, which will become an international centre for allies to train on the new drone. Talking to media at the event, Wallace said he believes the terrorist threat has become more global now, as the “reservoir of people who might cross that line into violence is probably greater than it was” before the 9/11 attacks. He said that NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan could inspire terrorist groups to mount attacks and that …