Hot-pressed SiC and its composites containing 10, 20 and 30 vol.% MoSi 2 were evaluated for their mechanical behavior. The addition of MoSi2, while improving the fracture toughness, was found to reduce the hardness and flexural strength of SiC. The strength of the composites was observed to decrease significantly at high temperature as compared to the strength of SiC. The composites exhibited plasticity in four-point bending in the test temperature range of 1300-1500 °C, indicating their damage-tolerant behavior. © 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.