I don't know what you referring to as USF tech cost. You have to be more specific. In the current live tech tree teching is not slower.
A USF player can choose to get grenades before an Ostheer player if he wants to.
A USF player can choose have access to a BAR before an Ostheer player can have access to an LMG
A USF player can choose to have access to Bazooka before an Ostheer player can have access to shreck
What the current USF tech does is give the choice of what and when to unlock the tech you want, if you want to unlock everything then yes will pay more in tech.
Unlocking grenades or weapon racks before your 1st Officer, your "free squad", is pretty much handling the game to the opponent with the current USF tech system, specially going for Grenades.
Backteching is also a pain and often not even an option in most circumstances.