A key enabling technology to support ceramic matrix composite (CMC) engine component development is the ability to measure strain at temperatures up to 1300°C. Thin film semiconductor strain gages are ideally suited for instrumenting CMC components, since they are deposited directly onto the surface of a component and become an integral part of the surface of the component. When large components have to be instrumented, the size of the component to be instrumented will be limited by the size of the sputtering chamber. High temperature, thin film strain gages were batch fabricated on a large plasma sprayed alumina preform (HVOF alumina) and divided into individual strain gage coupons. Thin film strain gages based on indium tin oxide (ITO) were fabricated onto ultra thin substrates and the individual strain gage coupons were cemented to CMC components, analogous to a weldable strain gage but tailored for CMC’s. High temperature cement was used to attach the ITO strain gage coupons to CMC components. The advantages in using surface mountable sensors to instrument CMC’s for strain measurement will be discussed and results of testing these ultra-high temperature backed strain sensors relative to other strain gages used to instrument CMC’s will be presented.