For Mike Watts, founder of AES2 (Advanced Engineering Solutions and Services), building a company was never about chasing scale or profit alone. It was about purpose and creating technology that helps people carry out critical missions.
Born and raised in Baltimore County and a Bel Air resident for the past 25 years, Watts built his early career at major defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and CACI. With degrees in mechanical engineering, an MBA, and program management certifications, he moved from technical roles into leadership. Along the way, he began to feel constrained. “I really enjoyed my time working at those other large companies, but I was disappointed and struggled with working at companies so focused on the business side,” Watts said. “I got very disheartened with telling customers no, we couldn’t help them.”
That frustration led him to strike out on his own. Drawing from family experience in small business, Watts founded AES2 with a clear philosophy. “Our biggest focus was always on the mission,” he said. “Mission first, money last.”
Today, AES2 supports defense and government customers across the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of State, and Department of Homeland Security. The company operates in five core areas--engineering, fabrication, integration, training, and logistics--with a growing global footprint. At the center of its success is a next-generation hybrid On-The-Move Command and Control (OTM C2) system, which Watts describes as a defining capability. “We make the command and control vehicles; this is a real big success story for us,” he said.
Designed for real-world, dynamic environments, AES2’s OTM C2 platforms allow teams to maintain communications, situational awareness, and decision-making while in motion. These systems integrate into broader C5ISR architectures -- command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance -- supporting everything from electronic warfare and air defense to fires and maritime operations.
“We’re supporting command and control, electronic warfare, communications; everything is mostly focused around C5ISR,” Watts said.
That capability has taken AES2 around the world. “We’ve been in 100 different countries,” Watts says, noting deployments throughout South America, Europe, and including Ukraine, Poland, and Romania, as well as Taiwan, and Africa. “We respond quickly and reliably around the world.”
Speed and adaptability are intentional advantages. “What sets us apart is that we’re quick, reactive, and capable,” Watts said. “We’re able to respond to our customers with a very short, agile timeline.” As a small business, AES2 can customize solutions rather than forcing customers into fixed models.
Despite its global reach, AES2 remains firmly rooted in Harford County. Watts chose the area for its balance of rural life, accessibility, and proximity to Aberdeen Proving Ground. “The fact that APG is right here is absolutely perfect,” he said.
The company employs local talent, offers internships, supports STEM education, and is expanding its footprint, growing its 10,000-square-foot facility to more than four times its size. “As we grow, it will continue to circulate and bring more to the community,” Watts said.
When he’s not working, Watts enjoys Harford County’s trails, restaurants, festivals, and wildlife. “Where we work along the Chesapeake Bay and Bush River, we see bald eagles every day,” he said. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
For Watts, the journey has always been personal. “I always said if I make a bet on anyone, I’m going to bet on myself,” he said. That belief continues to guide AES2, delivering next-generation solutions while staying deeply connected to the community it calls home.