Photo by Nicole Morgan Eric Bryan, a textiles scientist on the NAWCAD clothing team, explains what amount of pull will make various fabrics tear.

Tony Stark, the character played with critical acclaim by Robert Downey Jr., sports bomb-deflecting body armor. Vision enhancement in his helmet reveals threats behind or beneath him and beyond walls. His gear helped him fly or walk across entire deserts. Tiny rockets launched from his sleeves and took out tanks.

‘‘It’s where everybody would like to be someday,” said Tara Capecci, who leads the NAWCAD clothing team that develops protective gear that helps real-life warfighters improve performance.

But Ironman’s premise is not completely fantasy. Thanks to flesh and blood scientists, textile experts and designers, like Capecci’s team in the Human Systems department, more of the fleet has superhuman capabilities of their own.

Lt. Tiffany Landis, Air Medical Safety Officer for the Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic, in Norfolk, Va., works with a team of Sailors and aviators who have used the high-tech M25 binoculars. John Birtwistle, a retired Navy master chief aircrew survival equipmentman who is on Capecci’s team here at Pax River, worked with PMA-202, Aircrew Systems and private industry to bring the technology to the fleet.

The binoculars help helicopter pilots and aircrew see for miles in the dark, scan seas, shorelines and ship decks for suspicious activity and identify the names and registration numbers on distant ships. And the image remains still, even if the ride is bumpy.

Landis shared testimonials from the fleet. ‘‘The M25 significantly improved our capability to identify targets. We never go on a flight without them.” Another said the binoculars ‘‘kept us out of potential threats.”

Cmdr. David Slayton, a naval flight officer based out of NAS Whidbey Island, Wash., and currently deployed in Afghanistan with VAQ-134, said he’s ‘‘very impressed” with DRIFIRE, a garment that Capecci’s team helped bring to the fleet. Those who wear the suit stay dry when they perspire, and the material is fire resistant. He wrote from Afghanistan and said, ‘‘Pass our best to the team back in PAX, you all do great work and we greatly appreciate it!!“

Maj. Kolter Miller, an aircraft maintenance officer and logistician here at Pax River in the Logistics department saw ‘‘Ironman” and also has worn a wide range of gear during his 16 years in the Marine Corps. The film, set in war-torn Afghanistan, didn’t quite remind him of his own deployments that include three tours in Iraq. And, Tony Stark doesn’t quite remind him of everyday warriors.

Miller said he doesn’t know about having a garage full of fast cars or all the futuristic gear like the character. What Miller does know is that life on a true battlefield can be deadly, full of anomalies, and that it’s constantly changing. ‘‘You can’t ever feel comfortable in that arena,” Miller said. When you do, he said, that’s when things can change for the worse.

Better gear ‘‘does make you feel a little bit safer,” he said. And, if wishes could be granted, he said he wouldn’t mind having armor with capabilities similar to Ironman. During his career, Miller said, his equipment has gotten ‘‘lighter, stronger and more functional . . . We put a lot of trust in the leadership that they’re getting us the equipment that we need.”

In fact, many branches of the military are developing gear to improve war fighters’ performance. The Army has been working on a suit, dubbed the exoskeleton, which has been compared by the media to the gear Tony Stark developed in the film. The Army’s lightweight, metal fortified suit is outfitted with high-powered joints that would enable soldiers to run faster, jump higher and prolong endurance.

The Navy and Air Force together have developed a Joint Helmet Mounted Cuing System that allows pilots to use their helmet visors to identify targets around them, and helps them cue missiles or lock onto an airborne target within the blink of an eye.

The Personal Protective Apparel team, the crew on station led by Capecci, has a laundry list of projects. Team members, each one of them with loved ones in the military, search for the fabrics that best hold up to fire, moisture, or simple washing and drying.

They’ve helped develop a camouflage color, expected to be available by 2010. The new fatigues, in shades of brown called ‘‘coyote” will give them more chameleon-like capabilities in desert terrain.

Team member Lanita Meyers is working with vendors to find various types of boots to be tested here on station. Katrina Griffis has helped develop the Aircrew Mission Extender Device, which would allow pilots to take a potty break without having to unhook their safety restraints in the cockpit, a serious safety concern, especially for women. Kelcy Seabolt, a retired chief aircrew survival equipmentman, masterminded a glove that protects pilots’ and crewmembers’ hands from the elements, but have peel-away finger tips, allowing for freedom while fixing parts.

Eric Bryan mans the laboratory where fabrics are put through tests to determine flame resistance and durability, including a mannequin blasted by 12 propane jets.

Julee Diplacido said she’s worn some of the gear in development to help improve fit. She never joined the military, ‘‘so, this is my way to support,” she said. The clothing team has direct contact with the fleet. They hear their likes and dislikes about the clothing. ‘‘It motivates us to get them better gear,” she said.

Wendy Todd, another member of the Pax River clothing team, said her team works hard, but it’s not always like the movies. The stars never have to prepare lengthy acquisitions documents or wait for government funding, she said.

Todd herself has been compared to Edna Mode, the fictional clothing designer in the family-friendly superheroes flick ‘‘The Incredibles.” Todd has a similar brunette, bobbed haircut and petite stature as the character. Like the character Mode, Todd says safety comes first. But she tries to make the clothing attractive as well.

Effectiveness and good design makes people feel confident, she said. ‘‘If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you perform well,” she said.