Naval vessels, and especially frigates, require careful optimization of their propulsion systems in order to achieve better manoeuvrability, fuel efficiency, and signature reduction, while also delivering an overall high-end operational performance. The main topic of this paper is the performance evaluation of an alternative control strategy: Adaptive Pitch Control (APC). This strategy involves a feedback-controlled adaptation of the propeller pitch and shaft speed to maintain an effective angle of attack of the propeller blades at which the chance of cavitation is minimal, thereby reducing signatures and operating in a favorable area in the engine envelope in terms of efficiency and engine loading. The performance evaluation of APC against conventional control with combinator curves is performed using a simulation model of a notional future frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The propulsion plant consists of main diesel engines with supporting electric drives for top speed and low-end silent speed, also known as a COmbined Diesel-eLectric And Diesel (CODLAD) propulsion plant. For both control strategies, additional care is taken to create a load-sharing technique for parallel operation that leverages the dynamic load response of the electric drive while ensuring that the main engines are still efficiently loaded. The simulation study demonstrates the expected performance gains of APC in the following key performance metrics: cavitation noise, acceleration behavior, fuel consumption, and engine loading under various operational conditions.