A solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane and method of manufacturing the same. The composite membrane comprises a porous ceramic support having a top surface and a bottom surface. The porous ceramic support may be formed by laser micromachining a ceramic sheet or may be formed by electrochemically oxidizing a sheet of the base metal. A solid polymer electrolyte fills the pores of the ceramic support and preferably also covers the top and bottom surfaces of the support. Application of the solid polymer electrolyte to the porous support may take place by applying a dispersion to the support followed by a drying off of the solvent, by hot extrusion of the solid polymer electrolyte (or by hot extrusion of a precursor of the solid polymer electrolyte followed by in-situ conversion of the precursor to the solid polymer electrolyte) or by in-situ polymerization of a corresponding monomer of the solid polymer electrolyte.