A facile method to synthesize silicon oxide clad uranium oxide nanowires is presented. U3Si2, used as a precursor, was oxidized to produce uranium oxide nanocrystallites and amorphous silicon oxide under hydrothermal conditions at 300 degrees C and a pressure of 7.8 x 10(6) Pa. The growth of uranium oxide nanowires was assisted by silicon oxide via assembling the uranium oxide nanocrystallites in an amorphous silicon oxide matrix. The microstructure and composition of silicon oxide clad uranium oxide nanowires were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and EDS. The uranium oxide in the nanowires was determined as UO2.34 with a fluoride cubic structure.