Welcome! Fist 2-3 Naval progression opportunities will be just haul runs - get stuff and bring it back, deliver the cargo, deliver the message. No combat there whatsoever. If I remember correctly the fourth one is a bounty hunting run for pirates - piece of cake. You drop into an USS without any cargo in the hold and shoot Sideys that try to scan you. You will have bigger and scarier ships floating around and scanning you, but unless you have cargo they do not attack. So pick and choose. Next one is an assassination mission for a Federal Dropship. Those are not as bad as Anacondas but do pack a decent punch. I would prefer to do that mission in a Viper if at all possible. Never flown an Adder, but would put a C2 multicannon in its medium hardpoint and target either FSD or power plant on the target. It would try to get away if seriously damaged.
For the procurement missions avoid taking combat stabilizers ones. First you can't get them anywhere close; second the time limit is ridiculous; third, they are illegal in most ports.
Yeah, I wouldn't try the assassination mission in an Adder. I did it in a Cobra without too much trouble, though. I had to run away the first time I fought him, but I added shield cells to my loadout and took him down on the second try. Oh, and he's probably not Wanted in the system where you find him, so it's a good idea to wait for him to take the first shot. If you're lucky and have "report crimes against me" turned on, some security forces might even show up to help you out.
Welcome! We started about the same time