AFAIK, it is a per tail cost and is right. The block 4 JPO software/hardware is available to all users. What is in question is the "the partners paying for software they are locked out of". It needs to be confirmed from a reliable source, or it's just a myth.
Reprogramming labs are individually determined by the user for their area of operations, for what is needed and done at that nations cost. UK, AU and CA have a joint funded lab programme.
http://www.australiandefence.com.au/...-for-lightning
In the US a software reprogramming laboratory is also under construction, which will support JSF aircraft from Australia, Canada (should Canada eventually purchase the F-35) and the UK. Known as the ACURL (Australia, Canada, UK Reprogramming Laboratory), the facility is adjacent to a similar USRL (for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps) and NIRL (for Norway and Italy). A further reprogramming laboratory will support the remaining partner nations and FMS customers at NAS Point Mugu in California.
“We have Australians operating at Eglin right now, albeit in temporary facilities, learning how the various reprogramming tools work and at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, they are building the tools that will be installed in our laboratory next year,” AVM Gordon explained.
Defence has recently signed contracts with SRC Australia to produce data sets for operational missions for the F-35 and to help deliver the Ghosthawk mission support system, which will be used to produce trusted mission data sets.
“Ghosthawk is a tool that will allow Air Force and the ADF to manage its intelligence mission data, and support the generation of the mission data files that each of the platforms will need to operate,” AVM Gordon added. “In particular, it will allow us to feed mission data to the ACURL.”
Read more at
http://www.australiandefence.com.au/...tBOHrzQBxB3.99