# Perseus Defense Tests Low-Cost Counter-Drone Interceptors as It Expands Engineering in Texas **Author:** Zero G Talent **Published:** 2026-11-11 **Category:** engineering **Tags:** yc-hiring, counter-drone, aerospace engineering, computer vision, defense tech, embedded hardware [Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/perseus-defense-tests-low-cost-counter-drone-interceptors-as-it-expands-engineering-in-texas) --- Counter-drone missile developer [Perseus Defense](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-companies/perseus-defense) has begun live-fire field evaluations of its micro-missile interceptors with the U.S. military. The Y Combinator-backed startup, founded in 2025, builds low-cost kinetic missiles designed to neutralize Group 1 and Group 2 unmanned aerial systems at a fraction of the cost of standard air defense systems. In November 2026, [The Defence Blog](https://defence-blog.com/perseus-defense-tests-cheap-missile-against-drone/) reported that Perseus Defense released video footage of its Harpe interceptor climbing into the sky and destroying a hovering multirotor drone. The demonstration followed testing at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona during Falcon Peak 26.2, a military counter-drone experiment organized by U.S. Northern Command, NORAD, and Joint Interagency Task Force 401, as reported by [Army Recognition](https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/u-s-tests-perseus-harpe-interceptor-for-low-collateral-defense-against-small-drone-attacks). ## Building Kinetic Interceptors for Drone Defense Perseus Defense manufactures compact guided missiles that launch without prior lock, acquire target drones mid-flight, and guide themselves to a kinetic hit-to-kill interception. Its core system, the Harpe micro-missile, measures 61 centimeters (24 inches) long, features a range of 2 kilometers, and fires from an eight-round launcher weighing under 36 kilograms (80 pounds). While standard air defense interceptors cost upwards of $100,000 per shot, Perseus Defense targets a manufacturing and engagement cost under $10,000 per missile, with prototype builds of its Mk-III interceptor costing around $2,500. In a video interview with [Buda HIVE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlppRfGVtvw), co-founder and CEO [Jason Cornelius](https://zerogtalent.com/people/jason-cornelius) stated, "the missiles that we're developing, um, we're going to price them for about $5,000 per shot." The system is designed to integrate into external sensor networks and receive radar cues passed through military command-and-control software. During the U.S. Army's Golden Shield exercise with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, [The Defence Blog](https://defence-blog.com/u-s-army-tests-micro-guided-missile-during-golden-shield-exercise/) reported that the company demonstrated radar-cued multi-missile launches and fully active guidance intercepts. ## Leadership and Operations in Texas Perseus Defense was founded by CEO [Jason Cornelius](https://zerogtalent.com/people/jason-cornelius) and CTO [Steve Messinger](https://zerogtalent.com/people/steve-messinger), who met as aerospace engineering graduate students at Penn State University. Cornelius holds a PhD from Penn State, previously worked at NASA leading work on the Titan Dragonfly space helicopter concept, and teaches aerospace engineering at Stanford University. Messinger holds a Master's degree from Penn State and previously developed autonomous landing capabilities for commercial aircraft at Boeing alongside research in swarm robotics. To support manufacturing and testing, the company leased an 18,000-square-foot facility at Tower Business Park in Buda, Texas, south of Austin. As reported by [Community Impact](https://communityimpact.com/san-marcos-buda-kyle/development/perseus-defense-names-buda-as-location-for-new-headquarters/) and the [Austin Business Journal](https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2025/12/04/perseus-defense-buda-aerospace-austin-company.html), the expansion was supported by incentive agreements from the Buda Economic Development Corporation and Buda City Council, with plans to grow workforce capacity in the Austin region. The company raised $6.5 million in seed funding from investors including Y Combinator, Alumni Ventures, Pioneer Fund, Bow Capital, and Lobster Capital. ## Hiring Engineering Roles in Austin Perseus Defense is recruiting on-site engineering talent in the Austin area to advance missile prototyping, autonomous guidance, and production scaling. Open technical positions include: - [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82473): Builds 16-inch missiles that neutralize enemy drones and protect troops, with technical focus areas spanning Aerospace Engineering, Computer Vision, or Embedded Hardware Engineering. - [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82474): Develops hardware and software systems for micro-missile interceptors in Austin, TX. - [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82477): Works on prototyping, testing, and validating aerospace systems and kinetic guidance architectures. - [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82475): Handles embedded systems, electrical hardware, or computer vision for target acquisition. - [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82476): Collaborates with multidisciplinary engineering teams on missile testing and manufacturing. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) and hold a Bachelor's degree in engineering with 3 years of full-time experience, or a Master's degree with 1 year of experience. | Role | Location | Work Mode | Salary | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82473) | Austin, TX, US | Onsite | $110,000 – $180,000 | | [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82474) | Austin, TX, US | Onsite | $110,000 – $180,000 | | [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82477) | Austin, TX, US | Onsite | $110,000 – $180,000 | | [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82475) | Austin, TX, US | Onsite | $110,000 – $180,000 | | [Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-jobs/perseus-defense/engineer-82476) | Austin, TX, US | Onsite | $110,000 – $180,000 | [See all open roles at Perseus Defense](https://zerogtalent.com/defense-companies/perseus-defense) --- *Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*