A non-federated multi-function exciter to generate interleaved radar and communication signals, comprising: a waveform generator subsystem operable to provide waveforms programmable in time, duration, slope and frequency; a transmission subsystem coupled to the waveform generator subsystem, the transmission subsystem having a Ku-band PLL subsystem as a first upconverter and a second upconverter coupled to the first upconverter, a communication modulation subsystem coupled to the second upconverter of the transmission subsystem; and a reference clock subsystem coupled to the waveform generator subsystem, the transmission subsystem and the communication modulation subsystem; wherein the exciter operates in a first instance of radar format to: generate an oscillating reference waveform using the waveform generator subsystem; upconvert the oscillating reference waveform to a Ku-band waveform using the first upconverter, and upconvert the Ku-band waveform to a Ka-band waveform using the second upconverter, and transmit the generated Ka-band waveform as a radar signal; and wherein the exciter operates in a second instance of communication format to: park the waveform generator subsystem at a predetermined frequency to generate a low spurious content fixed frequency signal; upconvert the fixed frequency signal to a fixed frequency Ku-band signal using the first upconverter; modulate received communication information using the communication modulation subsystem; upconvert the modulated communication information with the fixed frequency Ku-band signal using the second upconverter to a modulated Ka-band signal; and transmit the modulated Ka-band signal as a pulse of communication data. a waveform generator subsystem operable to provide waveforms programmable in time, duration, slope and frequency; a transmission subsystem coupled to the waveform generator subsystem, the transmission subsystem having a Ku-band PLL subsystem as a first upconverter and a second upconverter coupled to the first upconverter, a communication modulation subsystem coupled to the second upconverter of the transmission subsystem; and a reference clock subsystem coupled to the waveform generator subsystem, the transmission subsystem and the communication modulation subsystem; wherein the exciter operates in a first instance of radar format to: generate an oscillating reference waveform using the waveform generator subsystem; upconvert the oscillating reference waveform to a Ku-band waveform using the first upconverter, and upconvert the Ku-band waveform to a Ka-band waveform using the second upconverter, and transmit the generated Ka-band waveform as a radar signal; and generate an oscillating reference waveform using the waveform generator subsystem; upconvert the oscillating reference waveform to a Ku-band waveform using the first upconverter, and upconvert the Ku-band waveform to a Ka-band waveform using the second upconverter, and transmit the generated Ka-band waveform as a radar signal; and wherein the exciter operates in a second instance of communication format to: park the waveform generator subsystem at a predetermined frequency to generate a low spurious content fixed frequency signal; upconvert the fixed frequency signal to a fixed frequency Ku-band signal using the first upconverter; modulate received communication information using the communication modulation subsystem; upconvert the modulated communication information with the fixed frequency Ku-band signal using the second upconverter to a modulated Ka-band signal; and transmit the modulated Ka-band signal as a pulse of communication data. park the waveform generator subsystem at a predetermined frequency to generate a low spurious content fixed frequency signal; upconvert the fixed frequency signal to a fixed frequency Ku-band signal using the first upconverter; modulate received communication information using the communication modulation subsystem; upconvert the modulated communication information with the fixed frequency Ku-band signal using the second upconverter to a modulated Ka-band signal; and transmit the modulated Ka-band signal as a pulse of communication data.